System development of morris experiments for brain function evaluation

Morris Water Maze (MWM) is a device in which rats learn to escape from opaque water onto a hidden platform. It is widely used in brain function evaluation, such as the ability of study, fatigue property test and resistance experiment. The ability is evaluated by the time and the distance rats spent in finding the hidden platform. An image collection simulation system was designed with a digital camera, a computer and an image acquisition (IMAQ) card based on virtual instrument, and the swimming trace of the experimental animal was captured into the computer and can be analyzed in real time. In addition, the system consists of the image capture, display and save, parameters setting, image identify and trace display module, data analysis in real time and redisplay mode. And the system has the open characteristics, so new modules can be added and functions can be expanded according to varies needs in the future. Also, vibration is creatively used as a parameter to evaluate the rat´s memory in this system, and the dynamic pie chart quadrant is used to describe the time that the rat move.