Mouse at the decision point in the T-maze. To get a reward, a mouse had to remember whether it had turned left or right on the previous trial and turn in the opposite direction. Mice genetically engineered to lack a specific segment of genetic material on Chromosome 22, a known cause of schizophrenia, like patients with the disorder, faltered at such working memory tasks because of poor functional connections between the brain's executive and memory hubs.
source: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2010/impaired-brain-connections-traced-to-schizophrenia-mutation.shtml
Googling The Rats of NIMH...trying to figure out the title of that book...Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH led me to this cute rodent. Now I want to buy the book and actually read it. I do believe I was instructed to read it long ago...I either read it and forgot a lot about it or I skimmed it...heh
yeah but wow the mouse has to 1.) remember what if it turned left or right the previous trial then 2.) go the opposite way to get a reward. what the heck! that's a lot to do! what if they went the correct way just by mere coincidence? i guess they have multiple trials for it but i guess they get the point after a while? after all the rewards? i wonder how that works...now i want some mice to make my own mazes...but too bad i can't genetically engineer their brains and all that...
aaaaand also speaking of mice...
Mouse on left is normal and mouse on right had a knockout mutation to mess up its Leptin receptor and therefore made him a fatty.
Leptin is in human bodies too and it is made by your fat cells. Leptin is a hormone that interacts with its receptor to stop your eating. Obese people might be insensitive to Leptin. Maybe because their receptors are not working properly.
source: http://focus.hms.harvard.edu/2003/march7_2003/research_briefs.html
Aren't they cute? normal guy and fatty scurrying off to play in the sun...sike to their cage to be tested?
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