Evaluation of cognitive flexibility
Using the CognitionWall™, we developed a four-night automated test to efficiently identify reversal learning impairments in mice, without time-consuming handling of mice. The CognitionWall is a wall with three entrances that is placed in front of a food dispenser in the automated home-cage. Mice are rewarded with a food reward when they choose to pass through one of the three entrances. After an initial discrimination learning phase, the rewarded entrance is switched to another entrance (reversal). The rate at which a mouse gains a relative preference for the newly rewarded entrance is used as a measure of reversal learning.