Learning capacity was assessed in the Morris water maze after 4 training days.

In probe trials, the mean distance of the animals to the previous location of the platform was calculated. LiCl led to a significantly improved learning capacity compared to NaCl on day 5 (2way ANOVA). In post-hoc analysis, the effect of LiCl treatment was significant in infected animals (PM+) while it remained below statistical significance in mock-infected animals (PM−). (Boxes extend from the 25th to 75th percentiles and include median; +, mean; whiskers, minimum to maximum value; *p<0.05).