Impaired spine stability underlies plaque-related spine loss in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model.

ABSTRACT: Dendritic spines, the site of most excitatory synapses in the brain, are lost in Alzheimer's disease and in related mouse models, undoubtedly contributing to cognitive dysfunction. We hypothesized that spine loss results from plaque-associated alterations of spine stability, causing an imbalance in spine formation and elimination. To investigate effects of plaques on spine stability in vivo, we observed cortical neurons using multiphoton microscopy in a mouse model of amyloid pathology before and after extensive plaque deposition. We also observed age-matched nontransgenic mice to study normal effects of aging on spine plasticity. We found that spine density and structural plasticity are maintained during normal aging. Tg2576 mice had normal spine density and plasticity before plaques appe

SUBMITTER: Spires-Jones TL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1988879 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature