Efecto de la masticación sobre la memoria y aprendizaje espacial en ratones adultos y seniles

Abstract

Introduction: Chewing is a peripheral activity that positively influences the central nervous system (CNS). However, despite the different studies carried out, it is still not clear how chewing affects cognitive processes. Because of this, was trying to find the effect of chewing on memory and spatial learning in adult and senile mice. Methods: A group of 16 adult and senile mice were randomized into 2 subgroups of 8 mice each group. One subgroup was fed with conventional grainy diet for mice (normal chewing subgroup), the other subgroup was fed dietary powder (deficient chewing subgroup). During 2 months each subgroup was submitted to their respective diet. Adult mice at 7 months of age and senile at 12 months of age were evaluated in the Morris' water maze; through of the acquisition phase and the probe test of memory and spatial learning. Results: Adult mice with normal chewing showed better memory acquisition and spatial learning with respect to mice with deficient chewing on the first day of evaluation (p = 0.035). When grouping the mice in the same type of chewing, in the subgroups under normal chewing, a better acquisition of memory and spatial learning was found in the adult subgroup on than in the senile subgroup (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Normal chewing had a positive effect on the acquisition of spatial information in adult mice.

La desaferentación dental como factor etiológico de disfunciones gustativas en ratas Wistar machos

“…Se han realizado múltiples estudios de DD en roedores para reducir su capacidad masticatoria, ello mediante la extracción de molares (22,23), el tratamiento de conducto radicular (24), la alimentación con dieta blanda (25,26), o la colocación de placas de mordida (27,28). En la presente investigación, se provocó la DD en los sujetos de estudio mediante la exodoncia de los tres molares superiores del lado derecho.…”