Mouse Models of Alzheimer's Disease - New Behavioral Approaches

Explore advanced behavioral assessment techniques for evaluating mouse models of Alzheimer's disease in this 30-minute webinar presented by Professor Bettina Platt from the University of Aberdeen. Learn about the development and validation of the innovative OF-NO-SI behavioral paradigm, which combines open field activity measures, novel object recognition, and social interaction assessments in a single comprehensive session. Discover how recent advances in gene editing have enabled the creation of sophisticated rodent research models that better mimic aspects of human neurodegenerative conditions, while examining the challenges of linking pathology with behavioral phenotypes. Examine comparative results from multiple mouse lines including rTg4510 tau overexpression models, 5X APP overexpression models, and PLB lines expressing low levels of tau and/or APP proteins. Understand how transgenic mice display specific deficits in object and conspecific exploration and recognition memory, with the paradigm effectively detecting differences between models, genotypes, and sexes for both activity and cognitive measures. Analyze the behavioral differences between overexpression models and low expression models, including sustained hyperactivity patterns and reduced interaction times with objects and strangers compared to wild-type controls. Investigate the strongest correlations identified between behavioral and molecular phenotypes, particularly regarding inflammatory markers, while considering the potential confounding effects of overexpression and essential control littermate considerations. Gain insights into how this research bridges cellular research and drug discovery with systems-level endpoints to evaluate treatment benefits and impacts on health, behavior, and cognition in Alzheimer's disease research.