Final answer:
The Morris water maze probe trial measures the cognitive mapping capability related to spatial memory in rodents, by monitoring the time spent in the quadrant of a pool where a platform was previously located during training sessions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Morris water maze probe trial is a common behavioral experiment used in neuroscience to study spatial learning and memory in rodents, typically rats or mice. Here is how the trial works: A rodent is placed in a large circular pool of opaque water, with a hidden platform submerged just below the surface. The platform is invisible to the rodent, so it must rely on spatial cues in the environment to navigate and find it. After several training sessions where the rodent learns the location of the platform, a probe trial is conducted. In this trial, the platform is removed, and the time spent by the rodent in the quadrant of the pool where the platform used to be is recorded.
This measure is used to assess the strength of the rodent's spatial memory as it indicates how well the rodent has learned the location of the platform. The construct measured through this trial is the animal's cognitive mapping capability, and the quantity that is typically monitored is the time spent in the target quadrant where the platform was located during training. This area is known as the target annulus. If the rodent has a strong memory of the platform's position, it will spend more time in that area during the probe trial.