Editing Radial arm maze (section)

== Uses ==
The maze has since been used extensively by researchers interested in studying the spatial learning and [[spatial memory]] of animals. For example, Olton and colleagues found that performance declined only slightly to 82% novel entries in the first 17 entries on a 17-arm maze.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Olton | first1 = D.S | last2 = Collison | first2 = C. | last3 = Werz | first3 = M.A. | year = 1977 | title = Spatial memory and radial arm maze performance of rats | journal = [[Learning & Motivation]] | volume = 8 | issue = 3| pages = 289–314 | doi = 10.1016/0023-9690(77)90054-6 }}</ref> Roberts found no decline in the percentage of correct choices as the number of arms on a radial maze were increased from 8 to 16 and then to 24.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Roberts | first1 = W.A. | year = 1979 | title = Spatial memory in the rat on a hierarchical maze | journal = [[Learning & Motivation]] | volume = 10 | issue = 2| pages = 117–140 | doi = 10.1016/0023-9690(79)90040-7 }}</ref> Cole and Chappell-Stephenson, using a radial maze with food locations ranging from 8 to 48, estimated the limit of spatial memory in rats to be between 24 and 32 locations.<ref name="Coleetal2003"/>

In one experiment utilizing the radial arm maze, it was shown that spatial relations among hidden target sites control spatial decisions that rats make and are unrelated to visual or perceptual cues that are related to certain locations.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Brown |first=Michael F. |author2=Gary W. Guimetti  |title=Spatial pattern learning in the radial arm maze |journal=[[Learning & Behavior]] |year=2006 |volume=34 |issue=1 |pages=102–108 |doi=10.3758/BF03192875|pmid=16786888 |doi-access=free }}</ref>{{clarify|date=April 2012}}

In another experiment, it was shown that subjects with Williams syndrome performed significantly worse compared to control subjects in multiple parameters such as visuo-spatial memory, general spatial function, and procedural competence.<ref> {{cite journal | last1 = Mandolesi | first1 = L. | last2 = Addona | first2 = F. | last3 = Foti | first3 = F. | last4 = Menghini | first4 = F. | last5 = Petrosini | first5 = L. | last6 = Vicari | first6 =  S.| year = 2009 | title = Spatial competences in Williams syndrome: a radial arm maze study | journal = Int. J. Devl Neuroscience | volume = 27 | issue = 3| pages = 205–213 | doi = 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2009.01.004 | pmid = 19429385 | s2cid = 29696910 }}</ref>

In mice, large differences in learning ability exist among different [[inbred strain]]s.<ref>{{cite book  |title=Behavioral Genetics of the Mouse |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn=978-1-107-03481-5 |volume=1 |year=2013 |chapter=Chapter 29: Radial maze |pages=299–303 |series=Cambridge Handbooks in Behavioral Genetics |author2-last=Schwegler |editor1-first=Wim E. |editor1-last=Crusio |editor2-first=Frans |editor2-last=Sluyter |editor3-first=Robert T. |editor3-last=Gerlai |editor3-link=Robert Gerlai |editor4-first=Susanna |editor4-last=Pietropaolo  |first1=Wim E. |last1=Crusio |author-link1=Wim Crusio |first2=Herbert}}</ref> These differences appear to be correlated with the size of a part of the hippocampal [[mossy fiber (hippocampus)|mossy fiber]] projection.<ref>{{Cite journal |author=[[Wim Crusio|W. E. Crusio]] & H. Schwegler |year=2005 |title=Learning spatial orientation tasks in the radial-maze and structural variation in the hippocampus in inbred mice |journal=[[Behavioral and Brain Functions]] |volume=1 |pages=3 |doi=10.1186/1744-9081-1-3 |pmid=15916698 |issue=1 |pmc=1143776 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

The radial arm maze has shown to be practicable to investigate how drugs affect memory performance. It has also been shown to be useful in distinguishing the cognitive effects of an array of toxicants.<ref>{{cite journal |pmid=2902540 |year=1988 |last1=Levin |first1=ED |title=Psychopharmacological effects in the radial-arm maze |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=169–75 |journal=[[Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews]] |doi=10.1016/S0149-7634(88)80008-3|s2cid=31161513 }}</ref>

The radial arm maze has also been use for several studies in children and adults.<ref name="Mandolesi">L. Mandolesi; F. Addona; F. Foti; D. Menghini; L. Petrosini; S. Vicari, "Spatial competences in Williams syndrome: a radial arm maze study", ''International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience'', May 2009, 27 (3), 205-213</ref> A particular study led by L. Mandolesi used subjects with William's Syndrome (WS) because of the interest placed on their cognitive profile. There is a dissociation between spatial processing and visuo-object processing suggests that in WS subjects spatial functions are more severely impaired than visuo-perceptual ones. This is what RAM tests for.<ref name="Mandolesi" />