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Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) presents clinically with a triad of motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. Cognitive symptoms often occur early within the disease progression, prior to the onset of motor symptoms, and they are significantly burdensome to people who are affected by HD. In order to determine the suitability of mouse models of HD in recapitulating the human condition, these models must be behaviorally tested and characterized. Operant behavioral testing offers an automated and objective method of behaviorally profiling motor, cognitive, and psychiatric dysfunction in HD mice. Furthermore, operant testing can also be employed to determine any behavioral changes observed after any associated interventions or experimental therapeutics. We here present an overview of the most commonly used operant behavioral tests to dissociate motor, cognitive, and psychiatric aspects of mouse models of HD.
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Clemensson EKH, Clemensson LE, Riess O, Nguyen HP. The BACHD Rat Model of Huntington Disease Shows Signs of Fronto-Striatal Dysfunction in Two Operant Conditioning Tests of Short-Term Memory. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0169051. [PMID: 28045968 PMCID: PMC5207398 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 12/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The BACHD rat is a recently developed transgenic animal model of Huntington disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by extensive loss of striatal neurons. Cognitive impairments are common among patients, and characterization of similar deficits in animal models of the disease is therefore of interest. The present study assessed the BACHD rats' performance in the delayed alternation and the delayed non-matching to position test, two Skinner box-based tests of short-term memory function. The transgenic rats showed impaired performance in both tests, indicating general problems with handling basic aspects of the tests, while short-term memory appeared to be intact. Similar phenotypes have been found in rats with fronto-striatal lesions, suggesting that Huntington disease-related neuropathology might be present in the BACHD rats. Further analyses indicated that the performance deficit in the delayed alternation test might be due to impaired inhibitory control, which has also been implicated in Huntington disease patients. The study ultimately suggests that the BACHD rats might suffer from neuropathology and cognitive impairments reminiscent of those of Huntington disease patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Karl Håkan Clemensson
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, Tuebingen, Germany
- Centre for Rare Diseases, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Laura Emily Clemensson
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, Tuebingen, Germany
- Centre for Rare Diseases, Tuebingen, Germany
- QPS Austria, Grambach, Austria
| | - Olaf Riess
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, Tuebingen, Germany
- Centre for Rare Diseases, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Huu Phuc Nguyen
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, Tuebingen, Germany
- Centre for Rare Diseases, Tuebingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Yhnell E, Dunnett SB, Brooks SP. A Longitudinal Operant Assessment of Cognitive and Behavioural Changes in the HdhQ111 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0164072. [PMID: 27701442 PMCID: PMC5049765 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is characterised by motor symptoms which are often preceded by cognitive and behavioural changes, that can significantly contribute to disease burden for people living with HD. Numerous knock-in mouse models of HD are currently available for scientific research. However, before their use, they must be behaviourally characterised to determine their suitability in recapitulating the symptoms of the human condition. Thus, we sought to longitudinally characterise the nature, severity and time course of cognitive and behavioural changes observed in HdhQ111 heterozygous knock-in mice.To determine changes in cognition and behaviour an extensive battery of operant tests including: fixed ratio, progressive ratio, the five choice serial reaction time task and the serial implicit learning task, were applied longitudinally to HdhQ111 and wild type mice. The operant test battery was conducted at 6, 12 and 18 months of age. Significant deficits were observed in HdhQ111 animals in comparison to wild type animals in all operant tests indicating altered cognition (attentional and executive function) and motivation. However, the cognitive and behavioural deficits observed were not shown to be progressive over time in the longitudinal testing paradigm that was utilised. The results therefore demonstrate that the HdhQ111 mouse model of HD reflects some features of the cognitive and behavioural changes shown in the human condition of HD. Although, the cognitive and behavioural deficits demonstrated were not shown to be progressive over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Yhnell
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University 3rd Floor, Hadyn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, United Kingdom
- The Brain Repair Group, Cardiff University School of Biosciences, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen B. Dunnett
- The Brain Repair Group, Cardiff University School of Biosciences, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Simon P. Brooks
- The Brain Repair Group, Cardiff University School of Biosciences, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
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Large-scale phenome analysis defines a behavioral signature for Huntington's disease genotype in mice. Nat Biotechnol 2016; 34:838-44. [PMID: 27376585 DOI: 10.1038/nbt.3587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2015] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Rapid technological advances for the frequent monitoring of health parameters have raised the intriguing possibility that an individual's genotype could be predicted from phenotypic data alone. Here we used a machine learning approach to analyze the phenotypic effects of polymorphic mutations in a mouse model of Huntington's disease that determine disease presentation and age of onset. The resulting model correlated variation across 3,086 behavioral traits with seven different CAG-repeat lengths in the huntingtin gene (Htt). We selected behavioral signatures for age and CAG-repeat length that most robustly distinguished between mouse lines and validated the model by correctly predicting the repeat length of a blinded mouse line. Sufficient discriminatory power to accurately predict genotype required combined analysis of >200 phenotypic features. Our results suggest that autosomal dominant disease-causing mutations could be predicted through the use of subtle behavioral signatures that emerge in large-scale, combinatorial analyses. Our work provides an open data platform that we now share with the research community to aid efforts focused on understanding the pathways that link behavioral consequences to genetic variation in Huntington's disease.
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McBride SD, Perentos N, Morton AJ. A mobile, high-throughput semi-automated system for testing cognition in large non-primate animal models of Huntington disease. J Neurosci Methods 2015; 265:25-33. [PMID: 26327320 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2015.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND For reasons of cost and ethical concerns, models of neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington disease (HD) are currently being developed in farm animals, as an alternative to non-human primates. Developing reliable methods of testing cognitive function is essential to determining the usefulness of such models. Nevertheless, cognitive testing of farm animal species presents a unique set of challenges. The primary aims of this study were to develop and validate a mobile operant system suitable for high throughput cognitive testing of sheep. NEW METHOD We designed a semi-automated testing system with the capability of presenting stimuli (visual, auditory) and reward at six spatial locations. Fourteen normal sheep were used to validate the system using a two-choice visual discrimination task. Four stages of training devised to acclimatise animals to the system are also presented. RESULTS All sheep progressed rapidly through the training stages, over eight sessions. All sheep learned the 2CVDT and performed at least one reversal stage. The mean number of trials the sheep took to reach criterion in the first acquisition learning was 13.9±1.5 and for the reversal learning was 19.1±1.8. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S) This is the first mobile semi-automated operant system developed for testing cognitive function in sheep. CONCLUSIONS We have designed and validated an automated operant behavioural testing system suitable for high throughput cognitive testing in sheep and other medium-sized quadrupeds, such as pigs and dogs. Sheep performance in the two-choice visual discrimination task was very similar to that reported for non-human primates and strongly supports the use of farm animals as pre-clinical models for the study of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian D McBride
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Nicholas Perentos
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - A Jennifer Morton
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK.
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Lewis EA, Smith GA. Using Drosophila models of Huntington's disease as a translatable tool. J Neurosci Methods 2015; 265:89-98. [PMID: 26241927 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2015.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Revised: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 07/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The Huntingtin (Htt) protein is essential for a wealth of intracellular signaling cascades and when mutated, causes multifactorial dysregulation of basic cellular processes. Understanding the contribution to each of these intracellular pathways is essential for the elucidation of mechanisms that drive pathophysiology. Using appropriate models of Huntington's disease (HD) is key to finding the molecular mechanisms that contribute to neurodegeneration. While mouse models and cell lines expressing mutant Htt have been instrumental to HD research, there has been a significant contribution to our understating of the disease from studies utilizing Drosophila melanogaster. Flies have an Htt protein, so the endogenous pathways with which it interacts are likely conserved. Transgenic flies engineered to overexpress the human mutant HTT gene display protein aggregation, neurodegeneration, behavioral deficits and a reduced lifespan. The short life span of flies, low cost of maintaining stocks and genetic tools available for in vivo manipulation make them ideal for the discovery of new genes that are involved in HD pathology. It is possible to do rapid genome wide screens for enhancers or suppressors of the mutant Htt-mediated phenotype, expressed in specific tissues or neuronal subtypes. However, there likely remain many yet unknown genes that modify disease progression, which could be found through additional screening approaches using the fly. Importantly, there have been instances where genes discovered in Drosophila have been translated to HD mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Lewis
- Neurobiology Department, Aaron Lazare Research Building, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Gaynor A Smith
- Neurobiology Department, Aaron Lazare Research Building, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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Abstract
In this review, we explore the similarities and differences in the behavioural neurobiology found in the mouse models of Huntington's disease (HD) and the human disease state. The review is organised with a comparative focus on the functional domains of motor control, cognition and behavioural disturbance (akin to psychiatric disturbance in people) and how our knowledge of the underlying physiological changes that are manifest in the HD mouse lines correspond to those seen in the HD clinical population. The review is framed in terms of functional circuitry and neurotransmitter systems and how abnormalities in these systems impact on the behavioural readouts across the mouse lines and how these may correspond to the deficits observed in people. In addition, interpretational issues associated with the data from animal studies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon P Brooks
- Brain Repair Group, Division of Neuroscience, Cardiff University School of Bioscience, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, Wales, UK,
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You SC, Geschwind MD, Sha SJ, Apple A, Satris G, Wood KA, Johnson ET, Gooblar J, Feuerstein JS, Finkbeiner S, Kang GA, Miller BL, Hess CP, Kramer JH, Possin KL. Executive functions in premanifest Huntington's disease. Mov Disord 2013; 29:405-9. [PMID: 24375511 DOI: 10.1002/mds.25762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2013] [Revised: 10/27/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We investigated the viability of psychometrically robust executive function measures as markers for premanifest Huntington's disease (HD). METHODS Fifteen premanifest HD subjects and 42 controls were compared on the NIH EXAMINER executive function battery. This battery yields an overall executive composite score, plus working memory, cognitive control, and fluency scores that are measured on psychometrically matched scales. The scores were correlated with two disease markers, disease burden and striatal volumes, in the premanifest HD subjects. RESULTS The premanifest HD subjects scored significantly lower on the working memory score. The executive composite positively correlated with striatal volumes, and the working memory score negatively correlated with disease burden. The cognitive control and fluency scores did not differ between the groups or correlate significantly with the disease markers. CONCLUSIONS The NIH EXAMINER executive composite and working memory scores are sensitive markers of cognitive dysfunction, striatal volume, and disease burden in premanifest HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Christine You
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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Rattray I, Smith EJ, Crum WR, Walker TA, Gale R, Bates GP, Modo M. Correlations of behavioral deficits with brain pathology assessed through longitudinal MRI and histopathology in the R6/1 mouse model of Huntington's disease. PLoS One 2013; 8:e84726. [PMID: 24367693 PMCID: PMC3868608 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Accepted: 11/18/2013] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by the expansion of a CAG repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. The R6 mouse models of HD express a mutant version of exon 1 HTT and typically develop motor and cognitive impairments, a widespread huntingtin (HTT) aggregate pathology and brain atrophy. Unlike the more commonly used R6/2 mouse line, R6/1 mice have fewer CAG repeats and, subsequently, a less rapid pathological decline. Compared to the R6/2 line, fewer descriptions of the progressive pathologies exhibited by R6/1 mice exist. The association between the molecular and cellular neuropathology with brain atrophy, and with the development of behavioral phenotypes remains poorly understood in many models of HD. In attempt to link these factors in the R6/1 mouse line, we have performed detailed assessments of behavior and of regional brain abnormalities determined through longitudinal, in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as an end-stage, ex vivo MRI study and histological assessment. We found progressive decline in both motor and non-motor related behavioral tasks in R6/1 mice, first evident at 11 weeks of age. Regional brain volumes were generally unaffected at 9 weeks, but by 17 weeks there was significant grey matter atrophy. This age-related brain volume loss was validated using a more precise, semi-automated Tensor Based morphometry assessment. As well as these clear progressive phenotypes, mutant HTT (mHTT) protein, the hallmark of HD molecular pathology, was widely distributed throughout the R6/1 brain and was accompanied by neuronal loss. Despite these seemingly concomitant, robust pathological phenotypes, there appeared to be little correlation between the three main outcome measures: behavioral performance, MRI-detected brain atrophy and histopathology. In conclusion, R6/1 mice exhibit many features of HD, but the underlying mechanisms driving these clear behavioral disturbances and the brain volume loss, still remain unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Rattray
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
- King’s College London, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, London, United Kingdom
| | - Edward J. Smith
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
- King’s College London, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, London, United Kingdom
| | - William R. Crum
- King’s College London, Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas A. Walker
- King’s College London, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, London, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Gale
- King’s College London, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gillian P. Bates
- King’s College London, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michel Modo
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Radiology, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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A broad phenotypic screen identifies novel phenotypes driven by a single mutant allele in Huntington's disease CAG knock-in mice. PLoS One 2013; 8:e80923. [PMID: 24278347 PMCID: PMC3838378 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2013] [Accepted: 10/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat in the HTT gene encoding huntingtin. The disease has an insidious course, typically progressing over 10-15 years until death. Currently there is no effective disease-modifying therapy. To better understand the HD pathogenic process we have developed genetic HTT CAG knock-in mouse models that accurately recapitulate the HD mutation in man. Here, we describe results of a broad, standardized phenotypic screen in 10-46 week old heterozygous HdhQ111 knock-in mice, probing a wide range of physiological systems. The results of this screen revealed a number of behavioral abnormalities in HdhQ111/+ mice that include hypoactivity, decreased anxiety, motor learning and coordination deficits, and impaired olfactory discrimination. The screen also provided evidence supporting subtle cardiovascular, lung, and plasma metabolite alterations. Importantly, our results reveal that a single mutant HTT allele in the mouse is sufficient to elicit multiple phenotypic abnormalities, consistent with a dominant disease process in patients. These data provide a starting point for further investigation of several organ systems in HD, for the dissection of underlying pathogenic mechanisms and for the identification of reliable phenotypic endpoints for therapeutic testing.
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Mo C, Renoir T, Pang TY, Hannan AJ. Short-term memory acquisition in female Huntington's disease mice is vulnerable to acute stress. Behav Brain Res 2013; 253:318-22. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.07.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2013] [Revised: 07/19/2013] [Accepted: 07/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Lindgren HS, Dunnett SB. Cognitive dysfunction and depression in Parkinson's disease: what can be learned from rodent models? Eur J Neurosci 2012; 35:1894-907. [PMID: 22708601 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2012.08162.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) has for decades been considered a pure motor disorder and its cardinal motor symptoms have been attributed to the loss of dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and to nigral Lewy body pathology. However, there has more recently been a shift in the conceptualization of the disease, and its pathological features have now been recognized as involving several other areas of the brain and indeed even outside the central nervous system. There are a corresponding variety of intrinsic non-motor symptoms such as autonomic dysfunction, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances and neuropsychiatric problems, which cannot be explained exclusively by nigral pathology. In this review, we will focus on cognitive impairment and affective symptoms in PD, and we will consider whether, and how, these deficits can best be modelled in rodent models of the disorder. As only a few of the non-motor symptoms respond to standard DA replacement therapies, the quest for a broader therapeutic approach remains a major research effort, and success in this area in particular will be strongly dependent on appropriate rodent models. In addition, better understanding of the different models, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the available behavioural tasks, will result in better tools for evaluating new treatment strategies for PD patients suffering from these neuropsychological symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna S Lindgren
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Life Sciences Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, Wales, CF10 3AX, UK.
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Figiel M, Szlachcic WJ, Switonski PM, Gabka A, Krzyzosiak WJ. Mouse models of polyglutamine diseases: review and data table. Part I. Mol Neurobiol 2012; 46:393-429. [PMID: 22956270 PMCID: PMC3461215 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-012-8315-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2012] [Accepted: 07/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) disorders share many similarities, such as a common mutation type in unrelated human causative genes, neurological character, and certain aspects of pathogenesis, including morphological and physiological neuronal alterations. The similarities in pathogenesis have been confirmed by findings that some experimental in vivo therapy approaches are effective in multiple models of polyQ disorders. Additionally, mouse models of polyQ diseases are often highly similar between diseases with respect to behavior and the features of the disease. The common features shared by polyQ mouse models may facilitate the investigation of polyQ disorders and may help researchers explore the mechanisms of these diseases in a broader context. To provide this context and to promote the understanding of polyQ disorders, we have collected and analyzed research data about the characterization and treatment of mouse models of polyQ diseases and organized them into two complementary Excel data tables. The data table that is presented in this review (Part I) covers the behavioral, molecular, cellular, and anatomic characteristics of polyQ mice and contains the most current knowledge about polyQ mouse models. The structure of this data table is designed in such a way that it can be filtered to allow for the immediate retrieval of the data corresponding to a single mouse model or to compare the shared and unique aspects of many polyQ models. The second data table, which is presented in another publication (Part II), covers therapeutic research in mouse models by summarizing all of the therapeutic strategies employed in the treatment of polyQ disorders, phenotypes that are used to examine the effects of the therapy, and therapeutic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Figiel
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland.
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Trueman R, Dunnett S, Brooks S. Operant-based instrumental learning for analysis of genetically modified models of Huntington's disease. Brain Res Bull 2012; 88:261-75. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2011.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2010] [Revised: 03/15/2011] [Accepted: 03/18/2011] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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Trueman RC, Dunnett SB, Jones L, Brooks SP. Five choice serial reaction time performance in the HdhQ92 mouse model of Huntington's disease. Brain Res Bull 2011; 88:163-70. [PMID: 22085744 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2011.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2011] [Revised: 10/07/2011] [Accepted: 10/30/2011] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder, with motor, cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. To date there is no cure. In order to understand better this disease and to develop novel treatments, many genetically modified animal models of Huntington's disease have been created. However, to utilize these models fully, appropriate functional assays need to be developed for behavioural assessments of the mice. Various facets of attention have been reported to be affected in Huntington's disease patients, and the Hdh(Q92/Q92) mice have been shown to have deficits on operant tasks which have attentional components. In the present study, the Hdh(Q92/Q92) mouse model is assessed on a well established test of attentional function, the operant 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRT), in which the mice must respond with a nose poke to light stimuli presented randomly across a 5 hole light array to receive a reward. In the present paper, the Hdh(Q92/Q92) mice exhibited deficits on the 5-CSRT when pseudorandomly presented with stimuli of different durations. However, alterations in the pacing of the task, therefore requiring an increase in sustained attention, did not affect the Hdh(Q92/Q92) mice more than their wildtype littermates. This study indicates that the Hdh(Q92/Q92) mice may have deficits in aspects of attentional function, in particular disruption in the ability to maintain attention in the visuospatial domain, suggesting that this knock-in mouse model of Huntington's disease may be a relevant model of the disease for the testing of novel therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- R C Trueman
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Wales, UK.
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