TY - JOUR T1 - The HexMaze: A previous knowledge task on map learning for mice JF - eneuro JO - eNeuro DO - 10.1523/ENEURO.0554-20.2021 SP - ENEURO.0554-20.2021 AU - Alejandra Alonso AU - Levan Bokeria AU - Jacqueline van der Meij AU - Anumita Samanta AU - Ronny Eichler AU - Ali Lotfi AU - Patrick Spooner AU - Irene Navarro Lobato AU - Lisa Genzel Y1 - 2021/06/16 UR - http://www.eneuro.org/content/early/2021/06/16/ENEURO.0554-20.2021.abstract N2 - New information is rarely learned in isolation, instead most of what we experience can be incorporated into or uses previous knowledge networks in some form. Previous knowledge in form of a cognitive map can facilitate knowledge acquisition and will influence how we learn new spatial information. Here, we developed a new spatial navigation task where food locations are learned in a large, gangway maze to test how mice learn a large spatial map over a longer time period – the HexMaze. Analysing performance across sessions as well as on specific trials, we can show simple memory effects as well as multiple effects of previous knowledge of the map accelerating both online learning and performance increases over offline periods when incorporating new information. We could identify three main phases: 1) Learning the initial goal location, 2) faster learning after two weeks when learning a new goal location and then 3) the ability to express one-session learning leading to long-term memory effect after 12 weeks. Importantly, we are the first to show that build-up of a spatial map is dependent on how much time passes, not how often the animal is trained.Significance StatementWhile most tasks in human behavioral research are based on and embedded in familiar efforts and environments, rodents tend to be naïve to the behavioral tasks and can draw only little benefit from previous experience. We developed a new task that can investigates the effect of previous knowledge on new memory acquisition. Within the task we can differentiate between different previous knowledge effects. We show that different phases in this task are suitable for different approaches to memory: from simple reference memory to rapid consolidation once a map is established. Further, we show that building up a knowledge network is dependent on how much time passes and not how much training an animal receives. ER -