SPATIAL MEMORY IN TRANSGENIC MICE WITH IMPAIRED GLUCOCORTICOID RECEPTOR FUNCTION

SPATIAL learning and memory function of transgenic mice with impaired glucocorticoid receptor function was assessed in the Morris water maze and the radial arm maze. Transgenic mice took longer to find a submer ged and a visual platform in the water maze task than did mice from th e parent strain (B6C/3F1), although performance was improved in the vi sible platform condition relative to the submerged platform task. In t he radial arm maze, transgenic mice made significantly more errors tha n B6C/3F1 mice. In both tasks, the behavioural strategies adopted by t ransgenic mice were non-optimal for correct performance. It is suggest ed that the impaired performance displayed by transgenic mice in both tests is largely attributable to these altered behavioural strategies.