Topic: Barnes maze

In this work, we want to dissect the specific and sex-dependent role of CB1 signalling in different cell types and its impact on hippocampal functions such as navigation or memory. A specific Cre-mediated CB1 deletion on neurons (excitatory and inhibitory), astrocytes, or interneurons in CB1-flox males and females was performed. Viral vectors (AAV-Cre) were injected bilaterally into the hippocampus of these mice. The Barnes maze was used for learning, memory, navigation and the Novel Object Recognition Test (NORT) for recognition memory. Anxiety-like behavioural protocols were also performed b

Aggregation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) is among the earliest pathological changes in Alzheimer's disease (AD, Kamenetz et al., 2003). In some individuals, however, memory and other cognitive functions remain intact, despite the presence of abundant Aβ pathology (Stern, 2012). This suggests that neurons and networks can recruit mechanisms that protect against Aβ pathology, a concept known as cognitive resilience (CR). Notably, this occurs in a sex-dependent manner, with greater CR in females (Buckley et al., 2019, Ossenkoppele et al., 2020).The underlying mechanisms of resilience to AD pathology rema

The serine/threonine protein kinase, ‘Ca2+-calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase 4’ (CaMK4) regulates gene expression and protein activity in response to Ca2+-stimuli in brain neurons and modulates neuronal function and development, late long-term potentiation, memory formation and cognition [1,2]. Four patients have been identified with a de-novo mutation c.928A>G in the CaMK4 gene (S. McLean, unpublished data), resulting in a M310V variant in the autoinhibitory domain of CaMK4. Clinically, these patients display developmental delays and intellectual disabilities, in some cases accompa

The global demographic shift towards an aging population raises concerns about the increasing prevalence of social isolation (SI) among older adults, a concern further highlighted by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. SI is associated with an increased risk of depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment, exacerbating the global health issue of age-related cognitive decline. Research on the effects of SI in older animals is limited. However, in humans, the negative effects of SI become more pronounced with age, with a particularly strong effect on males. Our study examines the impact of SI on cogn

In the initial stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the presence of soluble amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides is known to perturb neuronal activity, leading to cognitive decline in advanced stages of the disease. While the hippocampus remains a focal point due to its vulnerability to Aβ, a comprehensive understanding of early-stage AD pathology requires the examination of interconnected neural regions, such as the posterior parietal cortex (PPC). The PPC, intricately linked with the hippocampus and essential to memory functions, particularly spatial memory, is vital for decoding early symptoms and the pr