A two-trial recognition task, based on place or object exploration in a Y-maze, was developed to study memory in adult and aged rats. This paradigm avoids the use of electric shocks or deprivation that may have non-specific influences on the responses, and the task does not require learning of a rule. A number of behavioral parameters in several animals could be recorded automatically. These behavioral parameters were found to be differently influenced both by the type of recognition (place vs. object) and by the inter-trial interval (recognition retention time). Impaired recognition was also detected in 18-months-old rats. This recognition task which combines simplicity, sensitivity and high specificity may thus be a useful adjunct to our current battery of memory tasks.