title: Galantamine improves olfactory learning in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome.
abstract: Down syndrome (DS) is the most common form of congenital intellectual disability. Although DS involves multiple disturbances in various tissues, there is little doubt that in terms of quality of life cognitive impairment is the most serious facet and there is no effective treatment for this aspect of the syndrome. The Ts65Dn mouse model of DS recapitulates multiple aspects of DS including cognitive impairment. Here the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS was evaluated in an associative learning paradigm based on olfactory cues. In contrast to disomic controls, trisomic mice exhibited significant deficits in olfactory learning. Treatment of trisomic mice with the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor galantamine resulted in a significant improvement in olfactory learning. Collectively, our study indicates that olfactory learning can be a sensitive tool for evaluating deficits in associative learning in mouse models of DS and that galantamine has therapeutic potential for improving cognitive abilities.
authors.affiliation: Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Fabio M Simoes
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Busquet
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blatner
authors.forename: Kenneth N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Maclean
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Restrepo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005702:Galantamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009812:Odorants; D014314:Trisomy
chemical_list: D018697:Nootropic Agents; D005702:Galantamine