Age-Related Modifications of Electroencephalogram Coherence in Mice Models of Alzheimer's Disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Vasily Vorobyov; Alexander Deev; Kirill Chaprov; Aleksey A Ustyugov; Ekaterina Lysikova

doi:10.3390/biomedicines11041151

Age-Related Modifications of Electroencephalogram Coherence in Mice Models of Alzheimer's Disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Biomedicines. 2023 Apr 11;11(4):1151. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines11041151.

Authors

Vasily Vorobyov^{1

2}, Alexander Deev³, Kirill Chaprov^{1

4

5}, Aleksey A Ustyugov⁴, Ekaterina Lysikova^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ School of Biosciences, Sir Martin Evans Building, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK.
² Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia.
³ Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia.
⁴ Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142432 Chernogolovka, Russia.
⁵ Center of Pre-Clinical and Clinical Studies, Belgorod State National Research University, 308015 Belgorod, Russia.

Abstract

Evident similarities in pathological features in aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD) raise the question of a role for natural age-related adaptive mechanisms in the prevention/elimination of disturbances in interrelations between different brain areas. In our previous electroencephalogram (EEG) studies on 5xFAD- and FUS-transgenic mice, as models of AD and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), this suggestion was indirectly confirmed. In the current study, age-related changes in direct EEG synchrony/coherence between the brain structures were evaluated.

Methods: In 5xFAD mice of 6-, 9-, 12-, and 18-month ages and their wild-type (WT_5xFAD) littermates, we analyzed baseline EEG coherence between the cortex, hippocampus/putamen, ventral tegmental area, and substantia nigra. Additionally, EEG coherence between the cortex and putamen was analyzed in 2- and 5-month-old FUS mice.

Results: In the 5xFAD mice, suppressed levels of inter-structural coherence vs. those in WT_5xFAD littermates were observed at ages of 6, 9, and 12 months. In 18-month-old 5xFAD mice, only the hippocampus ventral tegmental area coherence was significantly reduced. In 2-month-old FUS vs. WT_FUS mice, the cortex-putamen coherence suppression, dominated in the right hemisphere, was observed. In 5-month-old mice, EEG coherence was maximal in both groups.

Conclusion: Neurodegenerative pathologies are accompanied by the significant attenuation of intracerebral EEG coherence. Our data are supportive for the involvement of age-related adaptive mechanisms in intracerebral disturbances produced by neurodegeneration.

Keywords: 5xFAD mice; FUS mice; aging; coherence; cortex; electroencephalogram; hippocampus; putamen; substantia nigra; ventral tegmental area.

Grants and funding

This work with transgenic animals was supported by the Ministry of Science and Education of Russian Federation No. 075-15-2021-1346. Transgenic animals were provided and supported by the Bioresource Collection of IPAC RAS and Centre for Collective Use in the framework of the State Target of IPAC RAS (FFSN-2021-0005). A.D. was supported by the Government Contract of the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences (No. 075-00381-22-00).