Environmental enrichment improves cognition in aged Alzheimer's transgenic mice despite stable beta-amyloid deposition.
Environmental enrichment (EE) has been shown to improve cognitive performance and brain indices of cognition in normal mice and rats. Because the therapeutic potential of intensive, long-term EE to benefit patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) has yet to be explored, the present study evaluated the effect of long-term EE on cognition in an animal model of AD, the APPsw transgenic mouse. Beginning at 16 months of age, APPsw mice were put into EE or standard housing for 4 months and then tested in four cognitive-based tasks (Morris maze, circular platform, platform recognition, and radial arm water maze) between 20 and 22 months of age. Our results indicate that long-term EE of aged APPsw mice results in global, overall improvement in cognitive function across these tasks without decreasing brain beta-amyloid (A beta) deposition. The results suggest that long-term EE/cognitive stimulation could provide cognitive stabilization or improvement to AD patients through mechanisms independent of A beta deposition and clearance.
Arendash
Gary W
GW
The Johnnie B. Byrd Alzheimer's Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33620, USA. arendash@cas.usf.edu
Garcia
Marcos F
MF
Costa
David A
DA
Cracchiolo
Jennifer R
JR
Wefes
Inge M
IM
Potter
H
H
D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D006799:Housing, Animal; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides