T-maze

A T-maze, with food at the end of one arm and an empty bowl at the other

In behavioral science, a T-maze (or the variant Y-maze) is a simple forked passage used in animal cognition experiments.[1][2] It is shaped like the letter T (or Y), providing the subject, typically a rodent, with a straightforward choice. T-mazes are used to study how the rodents function with memory and spatial learning through applying various stimuli. Starting in the early 20th century, rodents were used in experiments such as the T-maze. These concepts of T-mazes are used to assess rodent behavior. The different tasks, such as left-right discrimination and forced alternation, are mainly used with rodents to test reference and working memory.

  1. ^ d'Isa, R.; Comi, G.; Leocani, L. (2021). "Apparatus design and behavioural testing protocol for the evaluation of spatial working memory in mice through the spontaneous alternation T-maze". Scientific Reports. 11 (1): 21177. Bibcode:2021NatSR..1121177D. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-00402-7. PMC 8551159. PMID 34707108. S2CID 240074280.
  2. ^ Olton, D.S. (1979). Mazes, maps, and memory. American Psychologist, 34, 583–596).