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Collier JJ, Oláhová M, McWilliams TG, Taylor RW. Mitochondrial signalling and homeostasis: from cell biology to neurological disease. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:137-152. [PMID: 36635110 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Efforts to understand how mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to neurodegeneration have primarily focussed on the role of mitochondria in neuronal energy metabolism. However, progress in understanding the etiological nature of emerging mitochondrial functions has yielded new ideas about the mitochondrial basis of neurological disease. Studies aimed at deciphering how mitochondria signal through interorganellar contacts, vesicular trafficking, and metabolic transmission have revealed that mitochondrial regulation of immunometabolism, cell death, organelle dynamics, and neuroimmune interplay are critical determinants of neural health. Moreover, the homeostatic mechanisms that exist to protect mitochondrial health through turnover via nanoscale proteostasis and lysosomal degradation have become integrated within mitochondrial signalling pathways to support metabolic plasticity and stress responses in the nervous system. This review highlights how these distinct mitochondrial pathways converge to influence neurological health and contribute to disease pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack J Collier
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Monika Oláhová
- Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Thomas G McWilliams
- Translational Stem Cell Biology & Metabolism Program, Research Programs Unit, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Robert W Taylor
- Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; NHS Highly Specialised Service for Rare Mitochondrial Disorders of Adults and Children, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
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2
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FSTL1-knockdown improves neural oscillation via decreasing neuronal-inflammation regulating apoptosis in Aβ 1-42 induced AD model mice. Exp Neurol 2023; 359:114231. [PMID: 36162512 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Follistatin like protein 1 (FSTL1) is a famous growth regulatory protein. FSTL1 has been noticed in many diseases, including heart and lung ischemia, cerebral ischemia, glioma, schizophrenia, and Autism. The role of FSTL1 has been declared in the genetics and development of the central nervous system. Therefore, we designed this study to investigate the function and the role of FSTL1 in Alzheimer's disease. Firstly, we noticed upregulated expression level of FSTL1 among four to six-month-old 5XFAD AD mice. Accordingly, we hypothesized that FSTL1-Knockdown improved AD model mice's cognitive function and recover from Alzheimer's disease. Thus, AD model mice were made by single intracerebroventricular injections of Aβ1-42 peptides in FSTL1+/- and CON mice. Next, our results concluded that FSTL1-knockdown effectively improved cognitive functions. FSTL1-knockdown enhanced the pattern of neural oscillations, and synaptic plasticity in Aβ1-42 treated FSTL1-Knockdown mice compared to Aβ1-42 induced AD model mice. Next, FSTL1-Knockdown inhibited the activation of microglia and binding of TLR-4 with microglia. Further, inactivated microglia stopped the formation of MyD88. Thus, our data revealed that FSTL1-Knockdown is slowing down the caspase/BAX/Bcl-2/TLR-4 regulating apoptosis pathway, and the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus of Aβ1-42 inserted FSTL1-Knockdown mice. Overall, all these data illuminate the clinical significance role of down-regulated FSTL1. FSTL1-Knockdown reduced the amyloid-beta by affecting microglia, neural-inflammation and apoptosis in AD-like model mice. Finally, down regulation of FSTL1 improved synaptic plasticity, neural oscillations, and cognitive behaviours in the Aβ1-42 induced AD model mice.
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3
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Rappe A, McWilliams TG. Mitophagy in the aging nervous system. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:978142. [PMID: 36303604 PMCID: PMC9593040 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.978142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Aging is characterised by the progressive accumulation of cellular dysfunction, stress, and inflammation. A large body of evidence implicates mitochondrial dysfunction as a cause or consequence of age-related diseases including metabolic disorders, neuropathies, various forms of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Because neurons have high metabolic demands and cannot divide, they are especially vulnerable to mitochondrial dysfunction which promotes cell dysfunction and cytotoxicity. Mitophagy neutralises mitochondrial dysfunction, providing an adaptive quality control strategy that sustains metabolic homeostasis. Mitophagy has been extensively studied as an inducible stress response in cultured cells and short-lived model organisms. In contrast, our understanding of physiological mitophagy in mammalian aging remains extremely limited, particularly in the nervous system. The recent profiling of mitophagy reporter mice has revealed variegated vistas of steady-state mitochondrial destruction across different tissues. The discovery of patients with congenital autophagy deficiency provokes further intrigue into the mechanisms that underpin neural integrity. These dimensions have considerable implications for targeting mitophagy and other degradative pathways in age-related neurological disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rappe
- Translational Stem Cell Biology and Metabolism Program, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Thomas G. McWilliams
- Translational Stem Cell Biology and Metabolism Program, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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4
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Zhu Y, Armstrong JN, Contractor A. Kainate receptors regulate the functional properties of young adult-born dentate granule cells. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109751. [PMID: 34551304 PMCID: PMC8525187 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Both inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitter receptors can influence maturation and survival of adult-born neurons in the dentate gyrus; nevertheless, how these two neurotransmitter systems affect integration of new neurons into the existing circuitry is still not fully characterized. Here, we demonstrate that glutamate receptors of the kainate receptor (KAR) subfamily are expressed in adult-born dentate granule cells (abDGCs) and that, through their interaction with GABAergic signaling mechanisms, they alter the functional properties of adult-born cells during a critical period of their development. Both the intrinsic properties and synaptic connectivity of young abDGCs were affected. Timed KAR loss in a cohort of young adult-born neurons in mice disrupted their performance in a spatial discrimination task but not in a hippocampal-dependent fear conditioning task. Together, these results demonstrate the importance of KARs in the proper functional development of young abDGCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Zhu
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - John N Armstrong
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Anis Contractor
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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5
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Ehret F, Moreno Traspas R, Neumuth MT, Hamann B, Lasse D, Kempermann G. Notch3-Dependent Effects on Adult Neurogenesis and Hippocampus-Dependent Learning in a Modified Transgenic Model of CADASIL. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:617733. [PMID: 34093162 PMCID: PMC8177050 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.617733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We and others have reported that Notch3 is a regulator of adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), the most common genetic form of vascular dementia, is caused by mutations in Notch3. The present study intended to investigate whether there is a correlation between altered adult hippocampal neurogenesis and spatial memory performance in CADASIL transgenic mice. To overcome visual disabilities that hampered behavioral testing of the original mice (on an FVB background) we back-crossed the existing TgN3R169C CADASIL mouse model onto the C57BL/6J background. These animals showed an age-dependent increase in the pathognomonic granular osmiophilic material (GOM) deposition in the hippocampus. Analysis in the Morris water maze task at an age of 6 and 12 months revealed deficits in re-learning and perseverance in the CADASIL transgenic mice. Overexpression of Notch3 alone resulted in deficits in the use of spatial strategies and diminished adult neurogenesis in both age groups. The additional CADASIL mutation compensated the effect on strategy usage but not on adult neurogenesis. In brain bank tissue samples from deceased CADASIL patients we found signs of new neurons, as assessed by calretinin immunohistochemistry, but no conclusive quantification was possible. In summary, while our study confirmed the role of Notch3 in adult neurogenesis, we found a specific effect of the CADASIL mutation only on the reversion of the Notch3 effect on behavior, particularly visible at 6 months of age, consistent with a loss of function. The mutation did not revert the Notch3-dependent changes in adult neurogenesis or otherwise affected adult neurogenesis in this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Ehret
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Dresden, Germany
| | | | | | - Bianca Hamann
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Dresden, Germany
| | - Daniela Lasse
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Dresden, Germany
| | - Gerd Kempermann
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Dresden, Germany.,Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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6
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Ganley IG, Whitworth AJ, McWilliams TG. Comment on "mt-Keima detects PINK1-PRKN mitophagy in vivo with greater sensitivity than mito-QC". Autophagy 2021; 17:4477-4479. [PMID: 33818280 PMCID: PMC8726702 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2021.1907269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ian G Ganley
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation & Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK
| | | | - Thomas G McWilliams
- Translational Stem Cell Biology and Metabolism, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine,University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine,University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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7
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Van Looveren K, Van Boxelaere M, Callaerts-Vegh Z, Libert C. Cognitive dysfunction in mice lacking proper glucocorticoid receptor dimerization. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226753. [PMID: 31869387 PMCID: PMC6927629 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress is a major risk factor for depression and anxiety. One of the effects of stress is the (over-) activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the release of stress hormones such as glucocorticoids (GCs). Chronically increased stress hormone levels have been shown to have detrimental effects on neuronal networks by inhibiting neurotrophic processes particularly in the hippocampus proper. Centrally, GCs modulate metabolic as well as behavioural processes by activating two classes of corticoid receptors, high-affinity mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) and low-affinity glucocorticoid receptors (GR). Upon activation, GR can modulate gene transcription either as a monomeric protein, or as a dimer interacting directly with DNA. GR can also modulate cellular processes via non-genomic mechanisms, for example via a GPCR-protein interaction. We evaluated the behavioral phenotype in mice with a targeted mutation in the GR in a FVB/NJ background. In GRdim/dim mice, GR proteins form poor homodimers, while the GR monomer remains intact. We evaluated the effect of poor GR dimerization on hippocampus-dependent cognition as well as on exploration and emotional behavior under baseline and chronically increased stress hormone levels. We found that GRdim/dim mice did not behave differently from GRwt/wt littermates under baseline conditions. However, after chronic elevation of stress hormone levels, GRdim/dim mice displayed a significant impairment in hippocampus-dependent memory compared to GRwt/wt mice, which correlated with differential expression of hippocampal Bdnf/TrkB and Fkbp5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Van Looveren
- Center for Inflammation Research, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Zsuzsanna Callaerts-Vegh
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, KULeuven, Leuven Belgium
- Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience & Disease (LIND), Leuven, Belgium
- mINT Mouse Behavioural Core Facility, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Claude Libert
- Center for Inflammation Research, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- * E-mail:
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8
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Gilman TL, Dutta S, Adkins JM, Cecil CA, Jasnow AM. Basolateral amygdala Thy1-expressing neurons facilitate the inhibition of contextual fear during consolidation, reconsolidation, and extinction. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 155:498-507. [PMID: 30287384 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Disrupted fear inhibition is a characteristic of many anxiety disorders. Investigations into the neural mechanisms responsible for inhibiting fear will improve understanding of the essential circuits involved, and facilitate development of treatments that promote their activity. Within the basolateral amygdala (BLA), Thy1-expressing neuron activity has been characterized by us and others as promoting fear inhibition to discrete fear cues by influencing consolidation of cued fear learning or cued fear extinction. Here, we evaluated how activating BLA Thy1-expressing neurons using DREADDs affected the consolidation, expression, reconsolidation, and extinction of contextual fear. Using an inhibitory avoidance paradigm, our present findings indicate a similar involvement of BLA Thy1-expressing neuron activity in the consolidation and extinction, but not expression, of fear. Importantly, our data also provide the first evidence for involvement of these neurons in inhibiting fear reconsolidation. Therefore, these data enhance our understanding of the roles that Thy1-expressing neurons within the BLA play in inhibiting fear when examining avoidance, in addition to the already established role in Pavlovian fear paradigms. Future investigations should further explore the circuits responsible for these contextual effects modulated by BLA Thy1 neuron activation, and could promulgate development of therapies targeting these neurons and their downstream effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Lee Gilman
- Department of Psychological Sciences and Brain Health Research Institute, 144 Kent Hall, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
| | - Sohini Dutta
- Department of Psychological Sciences and Brain Health Research Institute, 144 Kent Hall, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
| | - Jordan M Adkins
- Department of Psychological Sciences and Brain Health Research Institute, 144 Kent Hall, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
| | - Cassandra A Cecil
- Department of Psychological Sciences and Brain Health Research Institute, 144 Kent Hall, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
| | - Aaron M Jasnow
- Department of Psychological Sciences and Brain Health Research Institute, 144 Kent Hall, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
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9
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Rhee J, Park K, Kim KC, Shin CY, Chung C. Impaired Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity and Enhanced Excitatory Transmission in a Novel Animal Model of Autism Spectrum Disorders with Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Overexpression. Mol Cells 2018; 41:486-494. [PMID: 29696935 PMCID: PMC5974625 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2018.0145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, we have reported that animals with telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) overexpression exhibit reduced social interaction, decreased preference for novel social interaction and poor nest-building behaviors symptoms that mirror those observed in human autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Overexpression of TERT also alters the excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) ratio in the medial prefrontal cortex. However, the effects of TERT overexpression on hippocampal-dependent learning and synaptic efficacy have not been investigated. In the present study, we employed electrophysiological approaches in combination with behavioral analysis to examine hippocampal function of TERT transgenic (TERT-tg) mice and FVB controls. We found that TERT overexpression results in enhanced hippocampal excitation with no changes in inhibition and significantly impairs long-term synaptic plasticity. Interestingly, the expression levels of phosphorylated CREB and phosphory-lated CaMKIIα were significantly decreased while the expression level of CaMKIIα was slightly increased in the hippocampus of TERT-overexpressing mice. Our observations highlight the importance of TERT in normal synaptic function and behavior and provide additional information on a novel animal model of ASD associated with TERT overexpression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeehae Rhee
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029,
Korea
| | - Kwanghoon Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029,
Korea
| | - Ki Chan Kim
- Department of Neuroscience and Department of Advanced Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029,
Korea
| | - Chan Young Shin
- Department of Neuroscience and Department of Advanced Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029,
Korea
| | - ChiHye Chung
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029,
Korea
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10
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Scafidi J, Ritter J, Talbot BM, Edwards J, Chew LJ, Gallo V. Age-Dependent Cellular and Behavioral Deficits Induced by Molecularly Targeted Drugs Are Reversible. Cancer Res 2018; 78:2081-2095. [PMID: 29559476 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-17-2254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Newly developed targeted anticancer drugs inhibit signaling pathways commonly altered in adult and pediatric cancers. However, as these pathways are also essential for normal brain development, concerns have emerged of neurologic sequelae resulting specifically from their application in pediatric cancers. The neural substrates and age dependency of these drug-induced effects in vivo are unknown, and their long-term behavioral consequences have not been characterized. This study defines the age-dependent cellular and behavioral effects of these drugs on normally developing brains and determines their reversibility with post-drug intervention. Mice at different postnatal ages received short courses of molecularly targeted drugs in regimens analagous to clinical treatment. Analysis of rapidly developing brain structures important for sensorimotor and cognitive function showed that, while adult administration was without effect, earlier neonatal administration of targeted therapies attenuated white matter oligodendroglia and hippocampal neuronal development more profoundly than later administration, leading to long-lasting behavioral deficits. This functional impairment was reversed by rehabilitation with physical and cognitive enrichment. Our findings demonstrate age-dependent, reversible effects of these drugs on brain development, which are important considerations as treatment options expand for pediatric cancers.Significance: Targeted therapeutics elicit age-dependent long-term consequences on the developing brain that can be ameliorated with environmental enrichment. Cancer Res; 78(8); 2081-95. ©2018 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Scafidi
- Neurology, Children's National Health System, Washington, D.C. .,Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, D.C
| | - Jonathan Ritter
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, D.C
| | - Brooke M Talbot
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, D.C
| | - Jorge Edwards
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, D.C
| | - Li-Jin Chew
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, D.C
| | - Vittorio Gallo
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, D.C
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Abstract
The identification of the mutation causing Huntington's disease (HD) has led to the generation of a large number of mouse models. These models are used to further enhance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the disease, as well as investigating and identifying therapeutic targets for this disorder. Here we review the transgenic, knock-in mice commonly used to model HD, as well those that have been generated to study specific disease mechanisms. We then provide a brief overview of the importance of standardizing the use of HD mice and describe brief protocols used for genotyping the mouse models used within the Bates Laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela P Farshim
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington's Disease Centre and Dementia Research Institute, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Gillian P Bates
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington's Disease Centre and Dementia Research Institute, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
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12
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Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant progressive neurological disorder characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms that typically present later on in life, although juvenile cases do exist. The identification of the disease-causing mutation, a CAG triplet repeat expansion in the HTT gene, in 1993 generated numerous investigations into the cellular and molecular pathways underlying the disorder. HD mouse models have played a prominent role in these studies, and the use of these mouse models of HD in the development and evaluation of novel therapeutic strategies is reviewed in this chapter. As new interventions and therapeutic approaches are evaluated and implemented, genetic mouse models will continue to be used with the hope of developing effective treatments for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Kosior
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, and Department of Medical Genetics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, and Department of Medical Genetics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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13
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Onaolapo AY, Onaolapo OJ, Nwoha PU. Aspartame and the hippocampus: Revealing a bi-directional, dose/time-dependent behavioural and morphological shift in mice. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2017; 139:76-88. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Revised: 11/20/2016] [Accepted: 12/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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14
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Lazaroni TLDN, Bastos CP, Moraes MFD, Santos RS, Pereira GS. Angiotensin-(1-7)/Mas axis modulates fear memory and extinction in mice. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2015; 127:27-33. [PMID: 26642920 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2015.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Inappropriate defense-alerting reaction to fear is a common feature of neuropsychiatric diseases. Therefore, impairments in brain circuits, as well as in molecular pathways underlying the neurovegetative adjustments to fear may play an essential role on developing neuropsychiatric disorders. Here we tested the hypothesis that interfering with angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)]/Mas receptor axis homeostasis, which appears to be essential to arterial pressure control, would affect fear memory and extinction. Mas knockout (MasKO) mice, in FVB/N background, showed normal cued fear memory and extinction, but increased freezing in response to context. Next, as FVB/N has poor performance in contextual fear memory, we tested MasKO in mixed 129xC57BL/6 background. MasKO mice behaved similarly to wild-type (WT), but memory extinction was slower in contextual fear conditioning to a weak protocol (1CS/US). In addition, delayed extinction in MasKO mice was even more pronounced after a stronger protocol (3CS/US). We showed previously that Angiotensin II receptor AT1 antagonist, losantan, rescued object recognition memory deficit in MasKO mice. Here, losartan was also effective. Memory extinction was accelerated in MasKO mice after treatment with losartan. In conclusion, we showed for the first time that Ang-(1-7)/Mas axis may modulate fear memory extinction. Furthermore, we suggest MasKO mice as an animal model to study post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Luiz do Nascimento Lazaroni
- Núcleo de Neurociências, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Cristiane Perácio Bastos
- Núcleo de Neurociências, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Márcio Flávio Dutra Moraes
- Núcleo de Neurociências, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Robson Souza Santos
- Laboratório de Hipertensão, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Grace Schenatto Pereira
- Núcleo de Neurociências, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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15
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Girard SD, Escoffier G, Khrestchatisky M, Roman FS. The FVB/N mice: A well suited strain to study learning and memory processes using olfactory cues. Behav Brain Res 2015; 296:254-259. [PMID: 26365456 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Revised: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The FVB/N mice are well suited to generate transgenic animals. These mice are also particularly sensitive to seizures and neurodegeneration induced by systemic administration of chemoconvulsants and are very useful to model epilepsy. However, previous studies report strong cognitive and visual impairments suggesting this background unsuitable for behavioral analysis. In this study, we assessed and compared learning abilities of FVB/N mice to the well characterized C57BL/6 strain using the olfactory tubing maze, a non-visual hippocampus-dependent task in which the mice were trained to learn odor-reward associations. Exploratory behavior and spontaneous locomotor activity were then compared using the open field test. We demonstrated that FVB/N mice were able to learn the task, reaching at the end of the test a high percentage of correct responses. Interestingly, the performance of the FVB/N mice was at least similar to that of the C57BL/6 mice. Moreover, in contrast to previous reports, the FVB/N mice displayed a spontaneous locomotor activity lower than C57BL/6 mice. Our study demonstrated that FVB/N mice are not cognitively impaired and that their learning and memory performance can be assessed when the task is based on olfaction rather than vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane D Girard
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, NICN, UMR7259, 13344 Marseille, France.
| | - Guy Escoffier
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, NICN, UMR7259, 13344 Marseille, France.
| | | | - François S Roman
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, NICN, UMR7259, 13344 Marseille, France.
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16
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Slotnick B, Coppola DM. Odor-Cued Taste Avoidance: A Simple and Robust Test of Mouse Olfaction. Chem Senses 2015; 40:269-78. [DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjv005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Fiedler A, Grecksch G, Reinhold A, Schraven B, Becker A. Hippocampus-dependent learning in SKAP-HOM deficient mice. Behav Brain Res 2014; 270:125-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.04.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2014] [Revised: 04/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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He Y, Zhang H, Yung A, Villeda SA, Jaeger PA, Olayiwola O, Fainberg N, Wyss-Coray T. ALK5-dependent TGF-β signaling is a major determinant of late-stage adult neurogenesis. Nat Neurosci 2014; 17:943-52. [PMID: 24859199 PMCID: PMC4096284 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2013] [Accepted: 04/30/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway serves critical functions in central nervous system (CNS) development, but apart from its proposed neuroprotective actions, its physiological role in the adult brain is unclear. We observed a prominent activation of TGF-β signaling in the adult dentate gyrus and expression of downstream Smad proteins in this neurogenic zone. Consistent with a function of TGF-β signaling in adult neurogenesis, genetic deletion of the TGF-β receptor ALK5 reduced the number, migration, and dendritic arborization of newborn neurons. Conversely, constitutive activation of neuronal ALK5 in forebrain caused a striking increase in these aspects of neurogenesis and was associated with higher expression of c-fos in newborn neurons and with stronger memory function. Our findings describe a new and unexpected role for ALK5-dependent TGF-β signaling as a regulator of the late stages of adult hippocampal neurogenesis which may have implications for changes in neurogenesis during aging and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingbo He
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Andrea Yung
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Saul A Villeda
- Present address: The Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA (S.A.V.), Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA, and Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA (P.A.J.)
| | - Philipp A Jaeger
- Present address: The Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA (S.A.V.), Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA, and Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA (P.A.J.)
| | - Oluwatobi Olayiwola
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Nina Fainberg
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Tony Wyss-Coray
- 1] Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA. [2] Center for Tissue Regeneration, Repair and Rehabilitation, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, USA
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Drapeau E, Dorr NP, Elder GA, Buxbaum JD. Absence of strong strain effects in behavioral analyses of Shank3-deficient mice. Dis Model Mech 2014; 7:667-81. [PMID: 24652766 PMCID: PMC4036474 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.013821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Haploinsufficiency of SHANK3, caused by chromosomal abnormalities or mutations that disrupt one copy of the gene, leads to a neurodevelopmental syndrome called Phelan-McDermid syndrome, symptoms of which can include absent or delayed speech, intellectual disability, neurological changes and autism spectrum disorders. The SHANK3 protein forms a key structural part of the post-synaptic density. We previously generated and characterized mice with a targeted disruption of Shank3 in which exons coding for the ankyrin-repeat domain were deleted and expression of full-length Shank3 was disrupted. We documented specific deficits in synaptic function and plasticity, along with reduced reciprocal social interactions, in Shank3 heterozygous mice. Changes in phenotype owing to a mutation at a single locus are quite frequently modulated by other loci, most dramatically when the entire genetic background is changed. In mice, each strain of laboratory mouse represents a distinct genetic background and alterations in phenotype owing to gene knockout or transgenesis are frequently different across strains, which can lead to the identification of important modifier loci. We have investigated the effect of genetic background on phenotypes of Shank3 heterozygous, knockout and wild-type mice, using C57BL/6, 129SVE and FVB/Ntac strain backgrounds. We focused on observable behaviors with the goal of carrying out subsequent analyses to identify modifier loci. Surprisingly, there were very modest strain effects over a large battery of analyses. These results indicate that behavioral phenotypes associated with Shank3 haploinsufficiency are largely strain-independent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Drapeau
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA. Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Nate P Dorr
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Gregory A Elder
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA. Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA. Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA. Neurology Service, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA
| | - Joseph D Buxbaum
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA. Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA. Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA. Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics and Systems Biology Center New York, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA. Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA. Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA. Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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20
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March A, Borchelt D, Golde T, Janus C. Differences in memory development among C57BL/6NCrl, 129S2/SvPasCrl, and FVB/NCrl mice after delay and trace fear conditioning. Comp Med 2014; 64:4-12. [PMID: 24672832 PMCID: PMC3929214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2013] [Revised: 08/09/2013] [Accepted: 09/04/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Fear-conditioning testing paradigms have been used to study differences in memory formation between inbred mouse strains, including numerous mouse models of human diseases. In this study, we characterized the conditioned fear memory of 3 inbred strains: C57BL/6NCrl, 129S2/SvPasCrl, and FVB/NCrl, obtained from Charles River Laboratories. We used 2 training paradigms: delay conditioning, in which an unconditional stimulus coterminates with the presentation of a conditional stimulus, and trace conditioning, in which the conditional and unconditional stimuli are separated by a trace interval. In each paradigm, we evaluated the recent (3 d) and remote (25 d) memory of the mice by using a longitudinal design. Our results showed that both C57BL/6NCrl and 129S2/SvPasCrl mice developed strong and long-lasting context and tone memories in both paradigms, but FVB/NCrl mice showed a weaker but nevertheless consistent tone memory after delay training. Tone memory in the FVB strain was stronger in male than female mice. The remote tone memory of 129S2/SvPasCrl mice diminished after delay training but was stable and stronger than that of C57BL/6NCrl mice after trace training. In conclusion, both C57BL/6NCrl and 129S2/SvPasCrl mice showed reliable and long-lasting fear memory after delay or trace training, with 129 mice showing particularly strong tone memory after trace conditioning. The FVB/NCrl strain, especially male mice, showed reliable tone fear memory after delay training. Our findings confirm that both C57BL/6NCrl and 129S2/SvPasCrl mice develop strong context and tone memory in delay and trace fear-conditioning paradigms.
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McKay BM, Oh MM, Disterhoft JF. Learning increases intrinsic excitability of hippocampal interneurons. J Neurosci 2013; 33:5499-506. [PMID: 23536065 PMCID: PMC3678545 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4068-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2012] [Revised: 01/24/2013] [Accepted: 02/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning-related intrinsic excitability changes of pyramidal neurons via modulation of the postburst afterhyperpolarization (AHP) have been repeatedly demonstrated in multiple brain regions (especially the hippocampus), after a variety of learning tasks, and in multiple species. While exciting and important, the changes in pyramidal neurons are only a part of the neural circuitry involved in successful learning. For a more complete picture of the dynamic learning-related changes in the neural network, changes in inhibitory circuitry must also be systematically examined and characterized. Here we show in young adult rats and mice that learning the hippocampus-dependent trace eyeblink conditioning task induces enhanced inhibition onto CA1 pyramidal neurons mediated, in part, by an increase in intrinsic excitability of somatostatin-positive inhibitory neurons (SOMs). Furthermore, both CA1 pyramidal and SOM interneurons shared a common cellular mechanism (reduction in SK channel-mediated AHP) that led to the learning-induced increased intrinsic excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget M. McKay
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611
| | - M. Matthew Oh
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611
| | - John F. Disterhoft
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611
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22
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Hunsaker MR. The importance of considering all attributes of memory in behavioral endophenotyping of mouse models of genetic disease. Behav Neurosci 2013; 126:371-80. [PMID: 22642882 DOI: 10.1037/a0028453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In order to overcome difficulties in evaluating cognitive function in mouse models of genetic disorders, it is critical to take into account the background strain of the mouse and reported phenotypes in the clinical population being studied. Recent studies have evaluated cognitive function across a number of background strains and found that spatial memory assayed by the water maze and contextual fear conditioning often does not provide optimal results. The logical extension to these results is to emphasize not only spatial, but all attributes or domains of memory function in behavioral phenotyping experiments. A careful evaluation of spatial, temporal, sensory/perceptual, affective, response, executive, proto-linguistic, and social behaviors designed to specifically evaluate the cognitive function each mouse model can be performed in a rapid, relatively high throughput manner. Such results would not only provide a more comprehensive snapshot of brain function in mouse disease models than the more common approach that approaches nonspecific spatial memory tasks to evaluate cognition, but also would better model the disorders being studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Hunsaker
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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Engle JR, Barnes CA. Characterizing cognitive aging of associative memory in animal models. Front Aging Neurosci 2012; 4:10. [PMID: 22988435 PMCID: PMC3439635 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2012.00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2012] [Accepted: 05/14/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
An overview is provided of the simple single-cue delay and trace eyeblink conditioning paradigms as techniques to assess associative learning and memory in the aged. We highlight and focus this review on the optimization of the parameter space of eyeblink conditioning designs in the aged to avoid and control for potential confounds that may arise when studying aged mammals. The need to examine the contribution of non-associative factors that can contribute to performance outcomes is emphasized, and how age-related changes in the central nervous system as well as peripheral sensory factors can potentially bias the interpretation of the data in the aged is discussed. The way in which slight alterations of the parameter space in the delay and trace eyeblink conditioning paradigms can lead to delayed but intact conditioning, rather than impaired performance in aged animals is also discussed. Overall, the eyeblink conditioning paradigm, when optimized for the age of the animal in the study, is an elegantly simple technique for assessment of associative learning and memory. When design caveats described above are taken into account, this important type of memory, with its well-defined neural substrates, should definitely be included in cognitive assessment batteries for the aged.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Engle
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute and ARL Division of Neural Systems, Memory and Aging, University of Arizona Tucson, AZ, USA ; California National Primate Research Center Davis, CA, USA
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