Sex difference in pathology and memory decline in rTg4510 mouse model of tauopathy

Impact of Gender Differences on the Outcome of Alzheimer’s Disease

“…In mild cognitive impairment of the amnestic type, no gender difference in hippocampal atrophy was detected; however, women were cognitively more impaired and the authors hypothesized an increased vulnerability to cognitive impairment in the early phases [33] . Moreover, animal experimental data seem to support the presence of a sex difference in pathology and memory decline, with the female sex being affected earlier and more aggressively than the male one [34][35][36] . We were not able to corroborate this hypothesis in our patients; in fact, we did not find any significant gender differences in the clinical presentation of the disease or in the final scores of the quantitative measures employed.…”

Behavioral abnormalities in APPSwe/PS1dE9 mouse model of AD-like pathology: comparative analysis across multiple behavioral domains

“…Despite the fact that thigmotaxic behavior was significantly correlated with search path (thigmotaxis defines the part of swim path along the wall of the pool) this behavior is informative with reference to the efficiency of strategies adopted during the search of a pool. A significant increase in thigmotaxis affects search path (Yue et al, 2011) and escape latency (Wolfer et al, 1998) in the WM test. However, the increase in thigmotaxis in APP/PS1 mice was not solely responsible for the difference in their performance in the visible platform test.…”

“…Mice were trained in the WM test as described (Yue et al, 2011). The circular pool (1.4 m in diameter and 0.52 m deep) was made of white plastic and was elevated 0.45 m off the floor level (the pool's rim was 0.98 m from the floor level).…”

“…The test is slightly aversive but relatively easy procedurally. We recently demonstrated that transgenic mice overexpressing human tau-P301L showed a significant increase in thigmotaxic (or wall hugging) swimming in the WM test that significantly confounded interpretation of spatial memory performance (Yue et al, 2011). Longer thigmotaxic swims have often been interpreted as reflecting increased anxiety in mice (Treit and Fundytus, 1988) or as the impairment in the choice of optimal search strategies (Wolfer et al, 1998).…”

Increased Cerebral Vascular Reactivity in the Tau Expressing rTg4510 Mouse: Evidence against the Role of Tau Pathology to Impair Vascular Health in Alzheimer's Disease

“…The mean (s.d.) temperature and respiration rate within the WT and rTg4510 groups were 36.6 (0.5) and 36.3 (0.4) and 98 (28) and 87 (14), respectively, immediately before the ASL acquisitions and 36.7(0.5) and 36.7 (0.6) and 105(13) and 92 (11) after the acquisitions. There were no significant differences between the groups.…”