Barnes Maze

The Barnes Maze task is similar to the Radial Arm and Morris Water mazes but without dietary restrictions and with less physical stress. The Barnes Maze is designed for testing spatial learning and memory. Within the maze, animals are motivated to escape from the brightly lit, open platform to a small dark recessed chamber (escape box). During testing, the animal learns the spatial location of the escape box. The maze also includes false escape boxes which help to remove visual cues that might be observed from a distance or through an open hole.