The place preference task: A new tool for studying the relation between behavior and place cell activity in rats

This study describes a task that combines random searching with goal direct ed navigation. The testing was conducted on a circular elevated open field (80 cm in diameter), with an unmarked target area (20 cm in diameter) in th e center of 1 of the 4 quadrants. Whenever the rat entered the target area, the computerized tracking system released a pellet to a random point on th e open field. Rats were able to learn the task under light and in total dar kness, and on a stable or a rotating arena. Visual information was importan t in light, but idiothetic information became crucial in darkness. Learning of a new position was quicker under light than in total darkness on a rota ting arena. The place preference task should make it possible to study plac e cells (PCs) when the rats use an allothetic (room frame) or idiothetic (a rena frame) representation of space and to compare the behavioral response with the PCs' activity.