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Updated: May 28, 2026
Recording Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalizations to Evaluate Social Communication
Published on: June 5, 2016
Age-related impairment of ultrasonic vocalization in Tau.P301L mice: possible implication for progressive language
Clément Menuet1, Yves Cazals, Christian Gestreau
1Maturation, Plasticity, Physiology and Pathology of Respiration, Unité Mixte de Recherche 6231, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de la Méditerranée, Université Paul Cézanne, Marseille, France.
Background:
Tauopathies, including Alzheimer's Disease, are the most frequent neurodegenerative diseases in elderly people and cause various cognitive, behavioural and motor defects, but also progressive language disorders. For communication and social interactions, mice produce ultrasonic vocalization (USV) via expiratory airflow through the larynx. We examined USV of Tau.P301L mice, a mouse model for tauopathy expressing human mutant tau protein and developing cognitive, motor and upper airway defects.
Methodology/Principal Findings:
At age 4-5 months, Tau.P301L mice had normal USV, normal expiratory airflow and no brainstem tauopathy. At age 8-10 months, Tau.P301L mice presented impaired USV, reduced expiratory airflow and severe tauopathy in the periaqueductal gray, Kolliker-Fuse and retroambiguus nuclei. Tauopathy in these nuclei that control upper airway function and vocalization correlates well with the USV impairment of old Tau.P301L mice.
Conclusions:
In a mouse model for tauopathy, we report for the first time an age-related impairment of USV that correlates with tauopathy in midbrain and brainstem areas controlling vocalization. The vocalization disorder of old Tau.P301L mice could be, at least in part, reminiscent of language disorders of elderly suffering tauopathy.
