Reward motivation and cognitive flexibility in tau null-mutation mice

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), are characterized by cognitive decline and sleep-wake disturbances.
• Alterations in the brain's reward system are observed in AD and FTD patients, but the specific role of tau in these processes remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of tau in reward processing and reward-motivated cognitive functions.
• To compare reward-related behaviors in tau knockout (tau-/-) mice and wild-type (WT) mice.

Main Methods:

• Utilized progressive ratio and reversal learning tasks in male and female tau-/- and WT mice.
• Assessed operant lever training, home cage food intake, and body weight.

Main Results:

• Tau-/- mice exhibited increased body weight and home cage food consumption compared to WT mice.
• Tau-/- mice demonstrated a higher breakpoint on the progressive ratio task, indicating increased motivation for rewards.
• No significant impairments were observed in reversal learning or reward sensitivity in tau-/- mice.

Conclusions:

• Loss of tau function significantly alters reward processing mechanisms.
• These findings may elucidate aberrant reward-related behaviors observed in tauopathy patients.
• Understanding tau's role in reward pathways offers a potential therapeutic target for anti-tau strategies in neurodegenerative diseases.