Effect of Quercetin on the Short-term Impairment of Learning Induced by X- rays in Wistar Rats. Nonlinear Regression Analysis of Morris Water Maze Latencies

The analysis of learning curves obtained from Morris water maze tests has been traditionally carried out using repeated-measures analysis of variance [6], analysis of linear regression slopes [7], and analysis of non-linear exponential regression coefficients [8]. However, when the learning curve is altered by applying a disruptive agent (such as X-irradiation), these approaches may not be appropriate to best explain the behavioural changes induced. Piecewise (segmented) linear regression could be useful when a change in experimental conditions can be presumed to produce a sharp transition point in the response curve.