The combination of the IR backlit T-maze for zebrafish and EthoVision XT gives you the ideal tools to automate your learning and memory studies in zebrafish.

• Calculate and analyze parameters related to learning and memory automatically, including the time needed to reach the rewarded arm of the T-maze. 
• Analyze behaviors in relation to zones, such as the number of entries into the left arm.
• Start and stop trials automatically: start tracking as soon as the fish leaves the start zone.
• Select and compare different treatment groups or analyze the progress of learning during consecutive trials.  

Introduction
While often used for rodent models, the T-maze test is also a popular tool for the investigation of learning and memory in zebrafish. There are several versions of this test, usually centered around investigating the effect of certain chemicals or genetic differences on learning and memory. Sometimes the natural preference for either one of the arms is recorded, other times the animals are trained to choose a specific arm with visual cues.

With EthoVision® XT, you can automate your experiments, as the software automatically tracks the movement,  pathway, and behavior of your zebrafish. We also supply the ideal T-maze for zebrafish tracking, including a start box and infrared backlight providing the optimal conditions to accurately record the behavior of your zebrafish. 

How it works
A general T-maze test set-up consist of the T-maze for zebrafish with a camera mounted directly above the maze. This camera sends images to the computer running EthoVision XT, which in turn tracks the zebrafish and analyzes multiple parameters of interest.

The T-maze is a fairly simple maze consisting of one long arm and two shorter ones, connected in the shape of the letter ‘T’. There are different kinds of T-maze tests that are typically performed with zebrafish, but most start with the animal in the start box. This is the outer end of the long arm of the maze, separated from the rest of the maze by means of a simple slide door. After a certain amount of time, the fish is released into the rest of the maze. Then the behavior is recorded, tracking the animal’s path into through the maze.

Behaviors of interest can be the natural preference for one of the arms, or for conditions, such as odor, color, or other cues characterizing the arm. Research can also be focused on the discriminative learning ability, such as whether the animal is able to learn that the colored arm always contains a food reward. Variables of interest include the time the animal required to reach the goal arm and the time spent in the arm. Results are often compared over the course of consecutive trials and between different strains, investigating the learning abilities of different mutants.

EthoVision XT provides the ideal tools for the automation of T-maze test. It not only accurately tracks the path of each zebrafish, but you can also define the conditions for EthoVision XT to automatically start and stop the tracking. For example, start tracking as soon as the zebrafish leaves the start box, and stop as soon as it has been in the goal zone for a certain amount of time. After acquisition, you can easily select the data you are interested in, or create groups for comparison. You can filter out all trials of animals that failed to go into one of the arms, or select all the trials of treated animals, etc. Then subject your selection to analysis, and easily compare groups with different treatments or compare results over time for one animal. You can also visualize the results, giving you an immediate feel for your data.