Progressive impairment of directional and spatially precise trajectories by TgF344-Alzheimer's disease rats in the Morris Water Task.

ABSTRACT: Spatial navigation is impaired in early stages of Alzheimer's disease, and may be a defining behavioral marker of preclinical AD. A new rat model (TgF344-AD) of AD overcomes many limitations of other rodent models, though spatial navigation has not been comprehensively assessed. Using the hidden and cued platform variants of the Morris water task, a longitudinal assessment of spatial navigation was conducted on TgF344-AD (n = 16) and Fischer 344 (n = 12) male and female rats at three age ranges: 4 to 5 months, 7 to 8, and 10 to 11 months of age. TgF344-AD rats exhibited largely intact navigation at 4-5 months, with deficits in the hidden platform task emerging at 7-8 months and becoming significantly pronounced at 10-11 months of age. In general, TgF344-AD rats displayed less accurate swim

SUBMITTER: Berkowitz LE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6212523 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature