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Visual capabilities and cortical maps in BALB/c mice.

Naira Yeritsyan1, Konrad Lehmann, Oliver Puk

  • 1Leibniz-Institut für Neurobiologie, Magdeburg, Germany.

The European Journal of Neuroscience
|June 29, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Albino BALB/c mice show significantly impaired visual acuity and contrast sensitivity compared to pigmented C57BL/6 mice. Their visual cortex has altered ipsilateral eye representation, cautioning against using them in neuropsychological disorder models without considering vision deficits.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Vision Science
  • Animal Models

Background:

  • The BALB/c albino mouse strain is increasingly used in neuropsychological disorder research.
  • Visual deficits in animal models can confound behavioral test results.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze visual performance and cortical activity in BALB/c mice.
  • To compare BALB/c mice with pigmented C57BL/6 mice as controls.
  • To assess the suitability of BALB/c mice for neuropsychological research.

Main Methods:

  • Combined behavioral analyses (virtual-reality optomotor system, visual water task) with intrinsic signal optical imaging.
  • Measured visual acuity and contrast sensitivity.
  • Mapped visual cortical activity induced by contralateral and ipsilateral eye stimulation.

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Main Results:

  • BALB/c mice exhibited significantly lower visual acuity (approx. 0.3 cyc/deg lower) and contrast sensitivity (approx. 8-fold reduction) than C57BL/6 mice.
  • Cortical maps from contralateral eye stimulation were comparable between strains.
  • Ipsilateral eye stimulation revealed weaker cortical activity in BALB/c mice in specific visual field representations.

Conclusions:

  • BALB/c mice possess significantly impaired visual performance compared to C57BL/6 mice.
  • Altered ipsilateral eye cortical representation in BALB/c mice may affect stereopsis.
  • Vision should not be disregarded as a confounding factor in behavioral tests for neuropsychological disorders using BALB/c mice.