The 8-arm radial maze consists of a central platform from which eight arms radiate, usually equipped with food rewards at the end of specific arms. The rodent is placed in the center and must navigate the maze, visiting the arms to collect the food rewards. Some arms are designated to be re-entered only once, and the animal must remember which arms it has already visited to avoid revisiting them.

This test evaluates the rodent’s working memory (the ability to retain information over a short period), decision-making, and spatial memory, as mice must use environmental cues to navigate the maze and optimize their search for rewards. The number of re-entry errors into previously visited arms is a measure of spatial working memory.