Detection and exploration of cognitive flexibility by reversal learning

Abstract

Objective  To train C57/6J wild-type mice and Sapap3 gene knockout mice to perform reversal learning induced by olfaction, tactility audition, respectively, and to explore the feasibility of reversal learning paradigm induced by olfaction, tactility audition and the cognitive flexibility of Sapap3 gene knockout mice. Methods  C57/6J wild-type mice and Sapap3 gene knockout mice (8-10 weeks old) were randomly divided into three groups and trained with the head fixed. The correct rate, error rate and learning rate of the licking events at each stage were analyzed to observe the learning ability of the mice under the three reversal learning paradigms. Results  The time required to reach the learning criterion was significantly different between Sapap3 knockout mice and C57/6J wild type mice in the reversal stage of olfactory and auditory reversal learning paradigm. Conclusion  The behavioral paradigm of reversal learning can be used to detect cognitive flexibility, which lays a behavioral foundation for the subsequent research on the diseases and brain regions related to cognitive flexibility.

Keywords

cognitive flexibility / reversal learning / obsessive compulsive disorder