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Updated: Apr 28, 2026
Assessment of Sexual Behavior of Male Mice
Published on: March 5, 2020
Behavioral and EEG changes in male 5xFAD mice
F Schneider1, K Baldauf1, W Wetzel2
1German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
Abstract:
Transgenic animal models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are widely used to investigate mechanisms of pathophysiology and cognitive dysfunctions. A model with a very early development of parenchymal plaque load at the age of 2months is the 5xFAD mouse (Tg6799, Oakley et al. 2006). These 5xFAD mice over-express both human amyloid precursor protein (APP) and human presenilin 1 (PS1). Mice from this line have a high APP expression correlating with a high burden and an accelerated accumulation of the 42 amino acid species of amyloid-β (Aβ). The aim of this study was the behavioral and functional investigations of 5xFAD males because in most studies females of this strain were characterized. In comparison to literature of transgenic 5xFAD females, transgenic 5xFAD males showed decreased anxiety in the elevated plus maze, reduced locomotion and exploration in the open field and disturbances in learning performance in the Morris water maze starting at 9months of age. Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings on 6month old transgenic mice revealed a decrease of delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma frequency bands whereas the subdelta frequency was increased. EEG recordings during sleep showed a reduction of rapid eye movement sleep in relation to the amount of total sleep. Thus, 5xFAD males develop early functional disturbances and subsequently behavioral deficits and therefore they are a good mouse model for studying Alzheimer's disease.
Insights
Male 5xFAD mice exhibit early cognitive and behavioral deficits, including reduced anxiety and impaired learning, making them a valuable model for Alzheimer's disease (AD) research. These findings highlight functional disturbances in male Alzheimer's disease models.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Animal Models
Background:
- Transgenic animal models are crucial for studying Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathophysiology and cognitive dysfunction.
- The 5xFAD mouse model exhibits early amyloid plaque deposition, overexpressing human amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin 1 (PS1).
- This leads to accelerated accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides, particularly the Aβ42 species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the behavioral and functional characteristics of male 5xFAD mice, as most previous studies focused on females.
- To assess cognitive functions, anxiety levels, and exploratory behavior in male 5xFAD mice.
- To analyze electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns and sleep architecture in male 5xFAD mice.
Main Methods:
- Behavioral testing including elevated plus maze, open field exploration, and Morris water maze.
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings in awake and sleeping male 5xFAD mice and wild-type controls.
- Analysis of EEG frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, beta, gamma, subdelta) and sleep stages (REM sleep).
Main Results:
- Male 5xFAD mice displayed decreased anxiety, reduced locomotion and exploration, and impaired learning and memory starting at 9 months of age.
- EEG recordings at 6 months showed decreased delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma frequencies, with increased subdelta frequency.
- Reduced rapid eye movement (REM) sleep was observed in relation to total sleep time.
Conclusions:
- Male 5xFAD mice develop early functional disturbances and subsequent behavioral deficits relevant to Alzheimer's disease.
- These findings establish male 5xFAD mice as a suitable model for investigating AD mechanisms.
- The study underscores the importance of sex-specific characterization in AD mouse models.
