| Dr. Harman 2005-07-07, 11:50 am |
| mbree O, Touma C, Gortz N, Keyvani K, Paulus W, Palme R, Sachser N.
Department of Behavioural Biology, university of Munster, Badestr. 9,
D-48149 Munster, Germany; Institute of Neuropathology, University
Hospital Munster, Domagkstr. 19, D-48149 Munster, Germany.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is not only characterized by cognitive decline
and neuropathological changes, but also by non-cognitive behavioral
symptoms like restlessness, sleep disturbance, and wandering. These
symptoms are categorized in the "Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms
of Dementia" (BPSD). We investigated transgenic and wildtype mice of an
APP transgenic mouse model of AD (TgCRND8) with respect to 24 h
activity and spontaneous home cage behavior at 30, 60, 90 and 120 days
of age. At all test days, transgenic and wildtype animals differed
significantly with respect to activity patterns. In addition, activity
rhythms changed distinctly in transgenic mice with increasing age.
Transgenic mice also clearly showed more stereotypic behavior, which
correlated significantly at 90 and 120 days of age with elevated
corticosterone metabolite concentrations in fecal samples. Activity
patterns in TgCRND8 mice resemble altered rhythms of activity in AD
patients. Stereotypic behaviors may be caused by the same mechanisms as
non-cognitive behavioral symptoms of AD. Thus, it is likely that
analogies to BPSD that precede Abeta pathology are found in
APP-overexpressing TgCRND8 mice.
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