Age-Related Cognitive Impairments in Mice with a Conditional Ablation of the Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule

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  • Author(s): Bisaz, Reto; Boadas-Vaello, Pere; Genoux, David
  • Language:
    English
  • Source:
    Learning & Memory. Apr 2013 20(4):183-193.
  • Physical Description:
    PDF
  • Publication Date:
    2013
  • Document Type:
    Journal Articles
    Reports - Research
  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. 500 Sunnyside Boulevard, Woodbury, NY 11797-2924. Tel: 800-843-4388; Tel: 516-367-8800; Fax: 516-422-4097; e-mail: cshpres@cshl.edu; Web site: http://www.learnmem.org/
    • Peer Reviewed:
      Y
    • Source:
      11
    • Subject Terms:
    • Accession Number:
      10.1101/lm.030064.112
    • ISSN:
      1072-0502
    • Abstract:
      Most of the mechanisms involved in neural plasticity support cognition, and aging has a considerable effect on some of these processes. The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) of the immunoglobulin superfamily plays a pivotal role in structural and functional plasticity and is required to modulate cognitive and emotional behaviors. However, whether aging is associated with NCAM alterations that might contribute to age-related cognitive decline is not currently known. In this study, we determined whether conditional NCAM-deficient mice display increased vulnerability to age-related cognitive and emotional alterations. We assessed the NCAM expression levels in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and characterized the performance of adult and aged conditional NCAM-deficient mice and their age-matched wild-type littermates in a delayed matching-to-place test in the Morris water maze and a delayed reinforced alternation test in the T-maze. Although aging in wild-type mice is associated with an isoform-specific reduction of NCAM expression levels in the hippocampus and mPFC, these mice exhibited only mild impairments in working/episodic-like memory performance. However, aged conditional NCAM-deficient mice displayed pronounced impairments in both the delayed matching-to-place and the delayed reinforced alternation tests. Importantly, the deficits of aged NCAM-deficient mice in these working/episodic-like memory tasks could not be attributed to increased anxiety-like behaviors or to differences in locomotor activity. Taken together, these data indicate that reduced NCAM expression in the forebrain might be a critical factor for the occurrence of cognitive impairments during aging.
    • Abstract:
      As Provided
    • Publication Date:
      2013
    • Accession Number:
      EJ1006193