Novel application of a Radial Water Tread maze can distinguish cognitive deficits in mice with traumatic brain injury

The Radial Water Tread maze capitalizes on the natural tendency of mice to avoid open areas in favor of hugging the edges of an apparatus (thigmotaxis), and replaces a forced-swim model with water shallow enough that the animal is not required to swim, but aversive enough to motivate escape. Our findings indicate the RWT task is a sensitive species-appropriate behavioral test for evaluating spatial memory impairment in a mouse model of TBI.