Morris Water Maze Test

The apparatus used for the MWM is made up of a circular water tank 40 cm in height and 100 cm in diameter. The tank was filled with water (23 ± 1°C) to a depth of 15.5 cm and was made opaque by adding non-toxic white ink. A platform (20 cm in height, 10 cm in diameter) was placed 1 cm below the water surface in one quadrant. The mice were trained for four consecutive days (four trials per day). The latency to reach the hidden platform was calculated for each trial. After completion of the training the probe test was conducted, where the mice were subjected to swim freely in the tank for 1 min (in the absence of platform). Here, the time spent in the target quadrant, and three non-quadrants (right, left, and opposite), and the number of crossings were recorded through a video detective system (SMART, Panlab Harvard Apparatus, United States).