During spatial navigation, some typical parameters of learning have been observed, such as latency or path length. However, these parameters are sensitive to patterns of navigation and orientation that are not easily measurable. In the present study, we used a modified version of the Oasis maze and evaluated different parameters of learning, navigation, and orientation in different animal groups. Through a PCA (Principal component analysis) we found different factors such as learning, navigation, speediness, anxiety, orientation, path variability, and turning behavior. Each factor gathers different groups of behavioral variables. ANOVA analysis of those factors demonstrates that some of them are more strongly modulated by trial progression, while others by animal group differences, indicating that each group of variables is better reflecting one of these dimensions. To understand the nature of these navigation differences, we studied orientation strategies between animal conditions and across trials. We found that the main navigational strategy used by the animals consist of locating the target and directing their behaviors towards this area. When testing how this strategy changed after cognitive impairment or enhancement, we found that AβOs treated animals (Amyloid β Oligomers, Alzheimer animal model) have strong orientation difficulties at locating the target at longer distances. While animals with learning enhancement (exercised rat) do not show changes in orientation behaviors. These analyses highlight that experimental manipulations affect learning, but also induced changes in the navigational strategies. We concluded that both dimensions can explain the differences observed in typical learning variables, such as latency or path length, motivating the development of new tools that asses this two-dimension as a separate but, interacting phenomenon.

中文翻译：

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绿洲迷宫的新修改版中的空间学习过程中的差分导航策略。

在空间导航过程中，已经观察到一些典型的学习参数，例如延迟或路径长度。但是，这些参数对不易测量的导航和方向模式很敏感。在本研究中，我们使用了Oasis迷宫的改良版，并评估了不同动物群体中学习，导航和定向的不同参数。通过PCA（主成分分析），我们发现了不同的因素，例如学习，导航，速度，焦虑，方向，路径变化和转弯行为。每个因素都收集不同的行为变量组。这些因素的ANOVA分析表明，其中一些因素受试验进展的影响更大，而其他因素受动物群体差异的影响，表示每组变量都能更好地反映这些维度之一。为了了解这些导航差异的本质，我们研究了动物条件之间以及整个试验之间的定向策略。我们发现，动物使用的主要导航策略包括定位目标并将其行为指向该区域。在测试这种策略在认知障碍或增强后如何改变时，我们发现用AβOs处理的动物（淀粉样βOligomers，Alzheimer动物模型）在将目标定位到更远的距离时遇到很大的定向困难。具有学习增强作用的动物（运动的大鼠）没有显示方向行为的变化。这些分析强调了实验性操作会影响学习，但也会导致导航策略发生变化。