Hyperphosphorylated tau in parahippocampal cortex impairs place learning in aged mice expressing wild-type human tau.

ABSTRACT: To investigate how tau affects neuronal function during neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) formation, we examined the behavior, neural activity, and neuropathology of mice expressing wild-type human tau. Here, we demonstrate that aged (>20 months old) mice display impaired place learning and memory, even though they do not form NFTs or display neuronal loss. However, soluble hyperphosphorylated tau and synapse loss were found in the same regions. Mn-enhanced MRI showed that the activity of the parahippocampal area is strongly correlated with the decline of memory as assessed by the Morris water maze. Taken together, the accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau and synapse loss in aged mice, leading to inhibition of neural activity in parahippocampal areas, including the entorhinal cortex, may und

SUBMITTER: Kimura T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2140104 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature