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Evaluating aged mice in three touchscreen tests that differ in visual demands: Impaired cognitive function and
Nathalie Buscher1, Pascal van Dorsselaer2, Thomas Steckler2
1Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium; University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom.
Behavioural Brain Research
|July 11, 2017
Summary
Aging impairs cognitive function and vision in mice. Touchscreen tests reveal age-related cognitive decline is independent of visual acuity, making aged mice valuable for studying cognitive disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Animal Models
Background:
- Normal aging is associated with cognitive and visual decline in humans and mice.
- Assessing age-related cognitive changes in preclinical models is challenging due to potential vision impairments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the influence of aging on cognitive function in mice.
- To determine the impact of age-related visual decline on touchscreen-based cognitive tests.
- To validate the use of aged mice as a model for cognitive aging.
Main Methods:
- Aged (11-21 months) and young (3-4 months) male C57BL/6J mice were compared.
- Cognitive performance was assessed using Visual Discrimination, Spatial Reversal, and Automated Search Task.
- Visual acuity was measured to correlate with cognitive performance.
Main Results:
- Age significantly impaired performance across all cognitive tasks.
- No correlation was found between reduced visual acuity and cognitive performance deficits.
- Visual acuity in cognitively impaired mice overlapped with that of cognitively normal mice.
Conclusions:
- Touchscreen-based behavioral paradigms are effective for studying age-related cognitive decline, even with potential visual impairments.
- Aged mice are a suitable model for investigating decreased cognitive flexibility and age-related neurological disorders.
- This methodology enhances the utility of aged mice in Alzheimer's disease research.
