Episodic-like memory in Ts65Dn, a mouse model of Down syndrome

Behav Brain Res. 2008 Mar 17;188(1):233-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2007.09.015. Epub 2007 Sep 19.

Abstract

Ts65Dn mice, like individuals with Down syndrome (DS), demonstrate a functional dissociation between explicit and implicit forms of memory, showing selective impairment in explicit or declarative learning tasks. Here, we explored Ts65Dn explicit memory deficits further by evaluating the ability of these mice to assimilate the temporal and spatial contexts under which previously novel objects had been encountered. We found that Ts65Dn mice could in fact form contextual representations of objects over the course of a few hours, contrary to their inability to discriminate object novelty over a more prolonged period of 24h. These results suggest that Ts65Dn mice might have particular difficulties in declarative tasks requiring long-term memory, presenting an especially important putative therapeutic target for pre-clinical and clinical DS research.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Discrimination Learning / physiology*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Down Syndrome / genetics
  • Down Syndrome / physiopathology*
  • Exploratory Behavior / physiology*
  • Male
  • Memory / physiology*
  • Memory Disorders / genetics
  • Memory Disorders / physiopathology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Mutant Strains
  • Spatial Behavior / physiology
  • Time Perception / physiology
  • Trisomy