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The value of spontaneous alternation behavior (SAB) as a test of retention in pharmacological investigations of memory

Hughes, Robert N.·2004·Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

DOI 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2004.06.006

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Abstract

Because of its reliance on memory, the tendency for rats, mice and other animals to alternate successive choices of T- or Y-maze arms has assumed considerable popularity in pharmacological studies of spatial memory as a quick and simple measure of retention that avoids the need for extensive training and the use of conventional reinforcers. Two forms of this tendency have been utilized, namely two-trial and continuous spontaneous alternation behavior (SAB). However, as the behavior can also reflect drug-related changes in sensory/attentional, motivational and performance processes, SAB should not be unquestionably accepted as a measure of memory alone. While assessments of post-acquisition drug effects on longer term memory may be possible through the appropriate timing of drug administration, this is more problematic if SAB is used as a measure of shorter term memory. Even though SAB can be a useful index of responsiveness to novelty, its value as a measure of retention is less certain. In this latter respect, a possible alternative to SAB testing might be the recently developed form of the related procedure, responsiveness to change.

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Protection against APOE4-associated phenotypes with the longevity-promoting intervention 17α-estradiol in middle-aged male mice
McGill, C. J., Christensen, A., Qian, W., Thorwald, M. A., Godoy-Lugo, J. A., Namvari, S., White, O. S., Finch, C. E., Benayoun, B. A., & Pike, C. J. (2025) · Communications Medicine · doi:10.1038/s43856-025-00942-3 · Cited by 4
“At 15 weeks, animals were tested for spontaneous alternation behavior in the Y maze, a hippocampus-dependent task that assesses attention to novelty and spatial memory 34,35 .”
Tenuifolin improves learning and memory by regulating long-term potentiation and dendritic structure of hippocampal CA1 area in healthy female mice but not male mice
Kong, H., Han, Y., Yang, G.-L., Li, K., Yu, L., Xie, X.-K., Xia, G.-Y., Wei, P., Zhang, W., & Li, C. (2024) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114974 · Cited by 5
Upregulation of HDAC3 mediates behavioral impairment in the bile duct ligation model of hepatic encephalopathy
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Role of the neuropeptide S receptor 1 rs324981 polymorphism in modulating emotionality and cognitive flexibility: Insights from a gene-edited mouse model
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“The SAT was conducted in a dimly lit ( 15 lux) Y-shaped maze with three arms [22].”
Restoring striatal WAVE-1 improves maze exploration performance of GluN1 knockdown mice
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NRSF regulates age-dependently cognitive ability and its conditional knockout in APP/PS1 mice moderately alters AD-like pathology
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Memory-dependent novelty-related location preferences: Sex-related attenuation of forgetting by d-glucose and tacrine
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“2005 Elsevier B.V.”
Self-citation
Behavioral and physiological characterization of PKC-dependent phosphorylation in the Grin2a∆PKC mouse
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“4.5.2 Spontaneous alternation in four-arm and Y maze—Spontaneous alternation behavior was observed in the mice using a four-arm maze and a Y maze (Hughes, 2004).”
MethodInfluential
Hippocampal-dependent memory deficit induced by perinatal exposure to polutted eels in middle-aged offspring mice: Sex differential effects
Soualeh, N., Soulimani, R., & Bouayed, J. (2017) · Toxicology Letters · doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2017.08.019 · Cited by 4
Behavioral and Neurological Phenotyping in the Mouse
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MT1-MMP inhibition rejuvenates ageing brain and rescues cognitive deficits in obesity
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The correct connectivity of the DG-CA3 circuits involved in declarative memory processes depends on Vangl2-dependent planar cell polarity signaling
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“Our Y-maze results, confirmed with the everyday like working memory task in the radial maze, show that our mice have a deficit of working memory in the absence of Vangl2 (Hughes, 2004).”
Exploring Anticholinergic and anti-amnesic potential of methyl substituted monocarbonyl curcumin derivatives
Afridi, M. B., Shah, S. W. A., Hussain, H., Elhenawy, A. A., Mujtaba, M., Al-Otaibi, J. S., & Khan, H. Z. (2025) · European Journal of Pharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2025.178193 · Cited by 3
Dysregulated hippocampal fatty acid metabolism following intermittent hypoxemia-induced neonatal brain injury is rescued by treatment with acetate
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“69,70.”
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Sodium para‐aminosalicylic acid attenuates combined manganese/iron‐induced cortical synaptic damage in rats
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“…This gives the animal the ability to remember which arm has been visited a fewer number of times recently, and therefore, this test is used to assess working memory, which is a form of short-term memory 23,24 During the training phase, the rats were allowed to freely explore two arms for 5 min.”
Method
The Role of Vesicular Glutamate Transporter Type 3 in Social Behavior, with a Focus on the Median Raphe Region
Fazekas, C. L., Török, B., Correia, P., Chaves, T., Bellardie, M., Sipos, E., Horváth, H. R., Gaszner, B., Dóra, F., Dobolyi, Á., et al. (2024) · eNeuro · doi:10.1523/eneuro.0332-23.2024 · Cited by 3
“This test detects the short-term learning and memory of rodents, re ﬂ ected by continuous spontaneous alternation (Hughes, 2004).”
Background
Exploring the neuroprotective role of melatonin against nickel-induced neurotoxicity in the left hippocampus
Brouzi, M. Y. E., Lamtai, M., Fath, N., Rezqaoui, A., Zghari, O., Hamzaoui, A. E., Ibouzine‐Dine, L., Hessni, A. E., & Mesfioui, A. (2024) · BioMetals · doi:10.1007/s10534-024-00618-w · Cited by 3
“The Y maze test assesses the spontaneous alternation capacity of working memory in rodents, without the use of a reinforcer such as food (Hughes 2004).”
Protective Effects and Mechanism of Heracleum moellendorffii Hance on Alcohol-Induced Cognitive Decline in Mice
Park, W., Kim, Y., & Cho, S. (2024) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms25158526 · Cited by 3
“The Y-maze test was performed to assess short-term working memory (Y-arm length, 40 cm; bottom arm width, 4 cm; wall height, 12 cm) [57].”
Method
Neuroprotective Effect of Sesame Oil Against Radiation-Induced Alzheimer-Like Symptoms in Rats: Involvement of IL-6 and Hepcidin Regulatory Pathway
Gharib, O. A., & Karam, H. M. (2024) · Pharmaceutical Chemistry Journal · doi:10.1007/s11094-025-03285-4 · Cited by 3
Fisetin ameliorates neurobehavioral deficits in bile duct ligated rat model by restoring spine density and memory gene expression
Gupta, S., Rishi, V., & Aggarwal, A. (2025) · The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry · doi:10.1016/j.jnutbio.2025.110050 · Cited by 3
Fibrinogen α‐chain‐derived peptide is upregulated in hippocampus of rats exposed to acute morphine injection and spontaneous alternation testing
Maki, A. E., Morris, K. A., Catherman, K., Chen, X., Hatcher, N. G., Gold, P. E., & Sweedler, J. V. (2014) · Pharmacology Research & Perspectives · doi:10.1002/prp2.37 · Cited by 3
“often in pharmacological studies of memory including in combination with microdialysis methods (Ragozzino et al. 1996; McNay et al. 2000, 2001; Hughes 2004; Chang and Gold 2008; De Bundel et al. 2009).”
A Reduction in Behavioral Pattern Separation Is Attenuated by Dietary Supplementation with a Magnesium-Rich Marine Mineral Blend in Middle-Aged Rats
Crowley, E. K., Grabrucker, S., Long-Smith, C. M., Stack, A., O’Gorman, D. M., & Nolan, Y. M. (2021) · Journal of Medicinal Food · doi:10.1089/jmf.2020.0213 · Cited by 3
“4,22 Although spontaneous alternations 23 and novel object recognition 17 are both hippocampal-dependent behaviors, pattern separation has been shown to be dependent on AHN.”
Nigella sativa oil alleviates doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy and neurobehavioral changes in mice
Anwar, M. J., Alenezi, S. K., Azam, F., Mahmood, D., Imam, F., & Alharbi, K. S. (2022) · Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine · doi:10.4103/2221-1691.350179 · Cited by 3
Real-time changes in hippocampal energy demands during a spatial working memory task
Kealy, J., Bennett, R., Woods, B., & Lowry, J. P. (2017) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2017.02.034 · Cited by 3
Nitrous Oxide-induced Impairment of Spatial Working Memory Requires Activation of GABAergic Pathways
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“Here, continuous free running in the Ymaze was assessed, while i [58], the T-maze te t involved repeated si gle trials, demanding gr ater recognition of prior c oices and decision making [75].”
Method
Power of a Metabonomic Approach to Investigate an Unknown Nervous Disease
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“…tests related to locomotor activity (open-field test), motor coordination (Locotronic® apparatus, Wespoc test), learning and memory [Y maze, (Hughes, 2004), Figure 10.a and Morris water maze], anxiety [elevated plus maze, (Rodgers and Johnson, 1995), hole board (do-Rego et al., 2006;…”
Background
Aging and the Effects of Exploratory Behavior on Spatial Memory
Varner, K. M., Dopkins, S. C., & Philbeck, J. W. (2016) · The International Journal of Aging and Human Development · doi:10.1177/0091415015626551 · Cited by 3
“Such spontaneous alternation is a welldocumented pattern in young, healthy rodents and is frequently used to examine the psychological impact of pharmacological interventions (Hughes, 2004).”
Background
The Anabolic Androgenic Steroid Testosterone Propionate Decreases Recognition Memory in Adult Male Rats
Silva, F., Cabral, A., Lima, A., Dierschnabel, A. L., do Nascimento, E. B., Macêdo, P. T., Izídio, G. S., Ribeiro, A. M., & Silva, R. A. (2014) · Current Psychopharmacologye · doi:10.2174/22115560113026660007 · Cited by 3
“The spontaneous alternation behavior comprises the tendency for rodents and other animals to alternate their nonreinforced choices of arms in a maze at successive opportunities [40].”
Background
Development of New Analytical Method Evaluating Working Memory on Y Maze
Gong, D.-Y., & Choi, Y. (2016) · Journal of Life Science · doi:10.5352/jls.2016.26.2.234 · Cited by 3
“여기서 자발적 교대란 하나의 통로 에 들어갔다 나올 때 다음 선택 가능한 두 개의 통로 중 이전에 탐험하지 않았던 새로운 통로를 선택하는 경우를 말하며 이는 설치류가 호기심이 많아 이전에 방문했던 통로보다는 탐험하 지 않았던 새로운 통로를 선택하는 습성을 이용한 실험법이다 [4, 8].”
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“The spontaneous alternation behavior is scored by determining the number of three unique arm entries (alternation) divided by the total number of arm entries minus 1 (35).”
Background
CRISPR-mediated transcriptional activation as a mutation-independent therapeutic strategy for SYNGAP1 -related intellectual disabilityPreprint
Sichlinger, L., Reilly, M. B., Arora, S., Zhang, S., Marotta, N., Rodríguez-Acevedo, K. L., Hooks, M., Czarnecki, K. S., Winter, J. J., Waxman, E. A., et al. (2025) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2025.10.28.685100 · Cited by 3
“We next performed Y-maze behavioral testing in adult mixed-sex mice, which provides a readout of spatial working memory unconfounded by locomotor activity 44 .”
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Congenital blindness does not protect against a schizophrenia-related phenotype in rodents
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Authors: Hughes, R. N.
Affiliations: University of Canterbury (NZ)
Corresponding author: Hughes, Robert N.
Venue: Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2004-09
Volume: 28
Issue: 5
Pages: 497-505
ISSN: 0149-7634 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2004.06.006
OpenAlex: W2143302321
Cited by: 641
References: 116
Citations by year: 2026: 37 · 2025: 47 · 2024: 38 · 2023: 39 · 2022: 54 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 55 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 35 · 2017: 38 · 2016: 28 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 24 · 2012: 24
FWCI: 0.65
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations: Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Spatial Cognition and Navigation
Keywords: spatial memory, memory retention, T-maze, Y-maze, responsiveness to change, drug effects on memory, attentional processes, motivation
MeSH terms: Acetylcholine, Animals, Attention, Behavior, Animal, Brain Chemistry, Humans, Light, Memory, Reinforcement, Psychology, Smell, Space Perception

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The value of spontaneous alternation behavior (SAB) as a test of retention in pharmacological investigations of memory

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