Progressive age-related cognitive decline in tau mice.
Age-related cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases are a growing challenge for society. Accumulation of tau pathology has been proposed to partially contribute to these impairments. This study provides a behavioral characterization during aging of transgenic mice bearing tau mutations. THY-Tau22 mice were evaluated at ages wherein tau neuropathology in this transgenic mouse model is low (3-4 months), moderate (6-7 months), or extensive (>9 months). Spatial memory was found to be impaired only after 9 months of age in THY-Tau22 mice, whereas non-spatial memory was affected as early as 6 months, appearing to offer an opportunity for assessing potential therapeutic agents in attenuating or preventing tauopathies through modulation of tau kinetics.
Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Ann
A
Van der Jeugd
Ben
B
Vermaercke
Maxime
M
Derisbourg
Adrian C
AC
Lo
Malika
M
Hamdane
David
D
Blum
Luc
L
Buée
Rudi
R
D'Hooge
D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000235:genetics; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
C558298:Mapt protein, mouse; D016875:tau Proteins
aging; learning; memory; tauopathy; transgenic model