Impaired insulin receptor function alters psychiatric behaviors without affecting circadian rhythms in a mouse model...

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are a cause of reduced quality of life in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and their caregivers. In this study, we examined the influence of insulin resistance, a risk factor for AD, on BPSD in AD pathology and related adrenergic and dopaminergic gene expressions in a mouse model.

Constitutive knock-in mice with the P1195L mutation in the insulin receptor (IR-KI mice) and those with a mutated amyloid precursor protein (App^NL-G-F mice: APP-KI mice) were crossbred to obtain the resultant mice (APP/IR-dKI mice) as AD models with insulin resistance for behavioral analysis.

APP/IR-dKI mice exhibited significantly longer immobilization in the forced swimming test and longer time spent on the light side in the light/dark box test than did APP-KI mice. No differences in circadian rhythms and physical activity in the dark and light phases were observed between APP-KI and APP/IR-dKI mice. Regarding gene expression of Adr1a1, Adr1a2, Adr1ad, Drd1, and Drd2 in the cortical region, there were no differences between APP-KI and APP/IR-dKI mice. These results suggest that APP/IR-dKI mice exhibit enhanced depression and suppressed anxiety compared with APP-KI mice, without mediation by the alteration of adrenergic or dopaminergic receptors.

Insulin resistance could enhance depression and suppress anxiety in relation to BPSD in AD. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2025; 25: 967-971.