Article
Behavioral Sciences
Laura Rodriguez Peris, Myriam Ilona Scheuber, Huimin Shan, Marie Braun, Martin E. Schwab
Summary: The Barnes maze is a task used to evaluate spatial learning and memory in rodents. The commonly used parameters of latency and path length do not accurately reflect the different navigation strategies chosen by the animals. Therefore, we propose an 11-point scoring scheme to supplement time and path length, in order to evaluate the behavior of animals in the maze.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Cell Biology
Leda Mygind, Marianne Skov-Skov Bergh, Vivien Tejsi, Ramanan Vaitheeswaran, Kate L. Lambertsen, Bente Finsen, Athanasios Metaxas
Summary: The study shows that TNF is essential for spatial learning and memory in male mice under non-inflammatory conditions, but not following LPS treatment. This suggests that inflammatory signaling can modulate spatial cognition in male subjects.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andreas Mund, Andreas-David Brunner, Matthias Mann
Summary: Mass spectrometry-based proteomics is a powerful technology for quantifying proteins in cells or tissues. Single-cell transcriptomes are influenced by stochastic noise due to low transcript numbers, whereas single-cell proteomes appear to be more complete. With the combination of imaging and spatial transcriptomics, the spatial organization of cells in tissues can be studied alongside ultra-sensitive proteomics.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Lianne A. Hulshof, Leon A. Frajmund, Danny van Nuijs, Denise C. N. van der Heijden, Jinte Middeldorp, Elly M. Hol
Summary: Through a series of memory tests, the researchers determined that the Barnes maze task is better suited for studying subtle learning and memory deficits in 9-month-old APPswe/PS1dE9 mice. The test revealed deficits in spatial memory and cognitive flexibility in the APPswe/PS1dE9 mice compared to wildtype littermates. Additionally, there were no sex-dependent memory deficit differences in this AD mouse model at this age.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING
(2022)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Lucia Amendola, Daniel Weary, Gosia Zobel
Summary: Individual variation in responses to anxiety and spatial memory tests is often reported. These variations are related to consistent individual differences in behavior (personality). However, personality differences are rarely considered in anxiety treatment studies. This article focuses on rat literature to describe principles in anxiety and spatial memory tests and discusses the influence of personality and housing conditions on behavioral responses. The authors propose that environmental enrichment can enhance stress resiliency in environmentally sensitive individuals. Incorporating personality measures into study design and analysis can improve research reproducibility.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Francisco Jose Lobato-Camacho, Juan Carlos Lopez, Juan Pedro Vargas
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential of virtual reality tools for evaluating and enhancing attention and memory processes. The researchers developed a virtual water maze to assess search strategies in gamers and analyzed how spatial memory strategies evolve with gaming experience.
MULTIMEDIA TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Physiology
Emily Hensleigh, Andrew S. Murtishaw, Michael D. Treat, Chelcie F. Heaney, Monica M. Bolton, Jonathan J. Sabbagh, Kirsten N. Calvin, Jefferson W. Kinney, Frank van Breukelen
Summary: This study examines the long-term spatial memory retention during hibernation in ground squirrels and finds marked variation between individuals. Some squirrels are able to retain memory across multiple torpor bouts, while others are not. The results suggest that the remodeling of dendritic spines during torpor does not always lead to memory loss.
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Yuto Tachiki, Yusuke Suzuki Ii, Mutsumi Kurahashi, Keisuke Oki, Ozgun Mavuk, Takuma Nakagawa, Shogo Ishihara, Yuichiro Gyoten, Akira Yamamoto, Itaru Imayoshi
Summary: Laboratory animals often live in small scale spaces, which makes it difficult to understand spatial representation and learning in larger scale spaces. In this study, a 3-meter diameter Barnes maze (BM3) was developed and compared to a conventional 1-meter diameter Barnes maze (BM1). The results showed that spatial learning in the BM3 was established at a lower learning rate and involved different exploration strategies compared to the BM1.
Article
Neurosciences
Samaneh Safari, Naser Mirazi, Nesa Ahmadi, Masoumeh Asadbegi, Alireza Nourian, Masome Rashno, Alireza Komaki
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the potential protective effects of policosanol (PCO) on spatial cognitive capacity, long-term potentiation (LTP) induction, oxidant/antioxidant status, and Aβ plaque formation in an Alzheimer's disease (AD) rat model. The results showed that PCO treatment improved spatial learning and memory abilities, synaptic plasticity, antioxidant status, and inhibited Aβ plaque accumulation in the AD rats.
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Natalija Popovic, Beatriz Bano-Otalora, Maria angeles Rol, Cesar Venero, Juan Antonio Madrid, Miroljub Popovic
Summary: The present study aimed to investigate whether prolonged social isolation would precipitate age-related changes in anxiety and spatial learning and memory in degus. The results showed that long-term social isolation did not significantly affect anxiety levels and motivation to escape, but significantly improved spatial learning skills while slightly impairing memory retention. These cognitive changes were not accompanied by modifications in anxiety and cortisol levels.
FRONTIERS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Katarzyna Stachowicz, Magdalena Sowa-Kucma, Patrycja Panczyszyn-Trzewik, Paulina Misztak, Marcin Marciniak, Bartosz Bobula, Krzysztof Tokarski
Summary: Our study showed that the effects of MTEP, a mGluR5 antagonist, on antidepressant-like and cognitive actions were influenced by COX-2 inhibition in mice. Chronic co-treatment with MTEP and NS398 led to a decrease in mGluR7 protein levels in the hippocampus, with both effects being associated with mGlu7 receptor-mediated mechanisms.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Ingrid Marguerite Wagnon, Lillian Jocelyn Jabur, Garry Niedermayer, Gerald Muench, Tim Karl, Rose Chesworth, Erika Gyengesi
Summary: In this study, the neuroinflammatory mechanisms in female mice were investigated using the GFAP-IL6 mouse model. The results showed that female GFAP-IL6 mice exhibited reduced anxiety-like behavior and hypolocomotion, as well as impairment in short-term memory. Furthermore, gene expression analysis revealed neuroinflammation and dysregulation of neurotransmission in certain brain regions of GFAP-IL6 mice.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Nosheen Malik, Sana Javaid, Waseem Ashraf, Farhan Siddique, Muhammad Fawad Rasool, Faleh Alqahtani, Tanveer Ahmad, Muhammad Asad Abrar, Imran Imran
Summary: The medicinal properties of Syzygium cumini and its effects on age-related neurological changes have been explored in this study. Supplementing young mice with Syzygium cumini fruit pulp has shown significant protection against anxiety-like behavior and improved cognitive abilities in aged mice. The beneficial effects may be attributed to the antioxidant and anticholinergic effects of the phytocompounds present in Syzygium cumini.
Article
Neurosciences
Ali Gheidi, Cameron J. Davidson, Serena C. Simpson, Majd A. Yahya, Nareen Sadik, Alixandria T. Mascarin, Shane A. Perrine
Summary: This study investigated the contribution of norepinephrine on different phases of spatial memory processing by depleting norepinephrine in the brain. The results showed that the depletion of norepinephrine had only a modest impact on spatial learning and behavioral flexibility, but had a sex-specific effect on memory retrieval and early reversal learning.
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mohammed Amir Husain, Annick Vachon, Raphael Chouinard-Watkins, Milene Vandal, Frederic Calon, Melanie Plourde
Summary: The metabolism of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is different in APOE4 carriers, and it affects cognitive performance. There is a plasma-liver-brain axis of DHA in APOE4 mice, which is influenced by genotype and diet. APOE4 mice rely more on plasma DHA, especially in cognitive performance.
JOURNAL OF NUTRITIONAL BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Nili Tickotsky-Moskovitz, Yoram Louzoun, Shirit Dvorkin, Adi Rotkopf, Amir Asher Kuperman, Sol Efroni
Summary: This study found that the CDR3 sequence composition does not change during restoration post-allo-BMT and is dependent on HLA typing, while V-gene usage follows a time-dependent pattern, initially following the donor profile and then shifting back to the recipient profile. The differences in V-gene distribution between donors and recipients may serve as clinical biomarkers for monitoring immune recovery.
Review
Neurosciences
Tavor Ben-Zeev, Eitan Okun
Summary: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength exercise are beneficial for improving health markers such as cardiovascular health, metabolic health, and cognitive function, reducing all-cause mortality. High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) combines HIIT and strength exercise to enhance muscle recruitment, improving both cardiovascular fitness and strength parameters. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying the positive effects of HIFT on cardiovascular, metabolic, and cognitive functions.
NEUROMOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Atara Uzan-Yulzari, Olli Turta, Anna Belogolovski, Oren Ziv, Christina Kunz, Sarah Perschbacher, Hadar Neuman, Edoardo Pasolli, Aia Oz, Hila Ben-Amram, Himanshu Kumar, Helena Ollila, Anne Kaljonen, Erika Isolauri, Seppo Salminen, Hanna Lagstrom, Nicola Segata, Itai Sharon, Yoram Louzoun, Regina Ensenauer, Samuli Rautava, Omry Koren
Summary: Exposure to antibiotics in the neonatal period may affect growth development in boys but not girls, while antibiotic use later in childhood is associated with increased body mass index. Additionally, neonatal antibiotic exposure has long-term effects on gut microbiome, leading to growth impairment in boys during the first six years of life.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Akiva Bruno Melka, Yoram Louzoun
Summary: During outbreaks, evaluating the number of undiagnosed infected individuals is crucial for assessing the situation and establishing protective measures. A study has found a relationship between diagnosed and undiagnosed infected individuals and calculated the effective number of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals in various countries.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Tomer Illouz, Raneen Nicola, Linoy Ben-Shushan, Ravit Madar, Arya Biragyn, Eitan Okun
Summary: A study by Illouz et al. demonstrated that maternal immunization with anti-A beta antibodies in wildtype female mice bred with 5xFAD males led to reduced cortical A beta levels and alleviated memory deficits in the offspring, even 4 months after the antibodies were undetectable. This long-term effect was attributed to a shift in microglial phenotype. The findings suggest that maternal immunization could potentially alleviate cognitive decline and pathology associated with early A beta deposition in diseases like AD and DS.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Raneen Nicola, Eitan Okun
Summary: Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is a dynamic process involving cognitive functions such as learning and memory, regulated by numerous intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Physical exercise, particularly the impact of lactate, plays a beneficial role in neural plasticity. Lactate, considered a potent factor in health and disease, influences most cells in the CNS and affects different cell types within the neurogenic niche, regulating adult hippocampal neurogenesis.
NEUROMOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ki Kim, Xin Wang, Emeline Ragonnaud, Monica Bodogai, Tomer Illouz, Marisa DeLuca, Ross A. McDevitt, Fedor Gusev, Eitan Okun, Evgeny Rogaev, Arya Biragyn
Summary: The study demonstrates that accumulation of activated B cells is crucial to the pathology of AD in three relevant transgenic animal models, and depletion of B cells interferes with both histological and behavioral manifestations of the disease.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Ido Springer, Nili Tickotsky, Yoram Louzoun
Summary: ERGO-II, a deep learning-based TCR-peptide binding predictor, achieved high accuracy in predicting TCR-peptide binding for previously unseen peptides. The main contribution to the prediction comes from the beta chain CDR3 sequence, followed by beta chain V and J, with the alpha chain making a smaller contribution. The MHC allele has the least impact on the prediction accuracy.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Immunology
Martin Maiers, Ramit Mehr, Malini Raghavan, Jim Kaufman, Yoram Louzoun
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Tomer Illouz, Ravit Madar, Tamir Hirsh, Arya Biragyn, Eitan Okun
Summary: The decline in immune functions related to aging, known as immunosenescence, leads to reduced protective responses to vaccines in the elderly. Developing vaccination strategies that harness memory-based immunity can overcome this age-related decline in immune responses and have potential implications for aging-related diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
Article
Neurosciences
Raneen Nicola, Ravit Madar, Eitan Okun
Summary: A recent study found that extracellular lactate can reduce the phagocytic ability of microglial cells by binding to a specific receptor, potentially impacting brain homeostasis and inflammatory conditions.
NEUROMOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Reut Levi, Shirit Dvorkin, Yoram Louzoun
Summary: The frequency of V(H)J(H) combinations deviates from the expected values in humans, mainly in functional rearrangements. Preferred combinations are shared between donors, suggesting a common structural mechanism for these biases.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Clinical Neurology
Yahel Segal, Michal Nisnboym, Keren Regev, Arnon Karni, Hadar Kolb, Firas Fahoum, Orna Aizenstein, Yael Paran, Yoram Louzoun, Sapir Israeli, Ron Loewenthal, Nina Svetlicky, Yifat Alcalay, Avi Gadoth
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
A. B. Melka, Y. Louzoun
Summary: This study proposes a more accurate estimate of the total number of haplotypes, taking into account silent recombination. By studying large-scale human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotype frequencies, it is shown that the current estimated recombination rate in the HLA region is underestimated.
