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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Analysis of Learning and Memory Ability in an Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model using the Morris Water Maze
Published on: October 29, 2019
Environmental enrichment improves cognition in aged Alzheimer's transgenic mice despite stable beta-amyloid
Gary W Arendash1, Marcos F Garcia, David A Costa
1The Johnnie B. Byrd Alzheimer's Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33620, USA. arendash@cas.usf.edu
Abstract:
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.
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