Motor Learning Deficits in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury

Background/Objectives: Motor deficits following neonatal brain injury, from cerebral palsy to subtle deficits in motor planning, are common yet underreported. Rodent models of motor deficits in neonatal hypoxia–ischemia (HI) allow improved understanding of the underlying mechanisms and neuroprotecti...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Maria Marlicz, Weronika Matysik, Emily Zucker, Sarah Lee, Hannah Mulhern, Jennifer Burnsed
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Children
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/1/27
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832588815309471744
author Maria Marlicz
Weronika Matysik
Emily Zucker
Sarah Lee
Hannah Mulhern
Jennifer Burnsed
author_facet Maria Marlicz
Weronika Matysik
Emily Zucker
Sarah Lee
Hannah Mulhern
Jennifer Burnsed
author_sort Maria Marlicz
collection DOAJ
description Background/Objectives: Motor deficits following neonatal brain injury, from cerebral palsy to subtle deficits in motor planning, are common yet underreported. Rodent models of motor deficits in neonatal hypoxia–ischemia (HI) allow improved understanding of the underlying mechanisms and neuroprotective strategies. Our goal was to test motor performance and learning in a mouse model of neonatal HI. Methods: We induced HI in postnatal day (p)10 C57/Bl6 mice through unilateral carotid ligation followed by 60 min of 8% oxygen exposure, or a sham procedure. At p30, we assessed complex motor performance and learning using the accelerating rotarod and complex running wheel tasks. Results: In the rotarod task, HI mice performed worse than sham mice, with shorter latencies to fall (n = 6 sham, 9 HI; day 1, <i>p</i> = 0.033; day 2, <i>p</i> = 0.013; day 3, <i>p</i> = 0.023). Sham mice demonstrated improved performance across days (<i>p</i> = 0.005), and HI mice did not (<i>p</i> = 0.44). During the simple running wheel task, we observed no difference in wheel rotation and speed between groups (n = 5/group; day 1, <i>p</i> = 0.67; day 4, <i>p</i> = 0.53). However, when navigating a wheel with a random pattern of spokes removed (complex task), HI mice took longer than sham mice to reach a plateau in performance (n = 5/group; day 1, <i>p</i> = 0.02; day 4, <i>p</i> = 0.77). Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that young adult mice exposed to HI exhibit significant deficits and delayed learning in complex motor performance compared to sham mice. HI mice do not show deficits in gross motor performance; however, more subtle impairments are present in complex motor performance and learning. This HI model exhibits subtle motor deficits relevant to findings in humans and may be a useful tool in testing further neuroprotective strategies.
format Article
id doaj-art-839550ebf7ac4f39b95b81ba914f26fb
institution Kabale University
issn 2227-9067
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Children
spelling doaj-art-839550ebf7ac4f39b95b81ba914f26fb2025-01-24T13:27:02ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672024-12-011212710.3390/children12010027Motor Learning Deficits in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Hypoxic-Ischemic InjuryMaria Marlicz0Weronika Matysik1Emily Zucker2Sarah Lee3Hannah Mulhern4Jennifer Burnsed5Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USADepartment of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USASchool of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USASchool of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USADepartment of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USADepartment of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USABackground/Objectives: Motor deficits following neonatal brain injury, from cerebral palsy to subtle deficits in motor planning, are common yet underreported. Rodent models of motor deficits in neonatal hypoxia–ischemia (HI) allow improved understanding of the underlying mechanisms and neuroprotective strategies. Our goal was to test motor performance and learning in a mouse model of neonatal HI. Methods: We induced HI in postnatal day (p)10 C57/Bl6 mice through unilateral carotid ligation followed by 60 min of 8% oxygen exposure, or a sham procedure. At p30, we assessed complex motor performance and learning using the accelerating rotarod and complex running wheel tasks. Results: In the rotarod task, HI mice performed worse than sham mice, with shorter latencies to fall (n = 6 sham, 9 HI; day 1, <i>p</i> = 0.033; day 2, <i>p</i> = 0.013; day 3, <i>p</i> = 0.023). Sham mice demonstrated improved performance across days (<i>p</i> = 0.005), and HI mice did not (<i>p</i> = 0.44). During the simple running wheel task, we observed no difference in wheel rotation and speed between groups (n = 5/group; day 1, <i>p</i> = 0.67; day 4, <i>p</i> = 0.53). However, when navigating a wheel with a random pattern of spokes removed (complex task), HI mice took longer than sham mice to reach a plateau in performance (n = 5/group; day 1, <i>p</i> = 0.02; day 4, <i>p</i> = 0.77). Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that young adult mice exposed to HI exhibit significant deficits and delayed learning in complex motor performance compared to sham mice. HI mice do not show deficits in gross motor performance; however, more subtle impairments are present in complex motor performance and learning. This HI model exhibits subtle motor deficits relevant to findings in humans and may be a useful tool in testing further neuroprotective strategies.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/1/27hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathymotor outcomescerebral palsyneonate
spellingShingle Maria Marlicz
Weronika Matysik
Emily Zucker
Sarah Lee
Hannah Mulhern
Jennifer Burnsed
Motor Learning Deficits in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury
Children
hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy
motor outcomes
cerebral palsy
neonate
title Motor Learning Deficits in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury
title_full Motor Learning Deficits in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury
title_fullStr Motor Learning Deficits in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury
title_full_unstemmed Motor Learning Deficits in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury
title_short Motor Learning Deficits in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury
title_sort motor learning deficits in a neonatal mouse model of hypoxic ischemic injury
topic hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy
motor outcomes
cerebral palsy
neonate
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/1/27
work_keys_str_mv AT mariamarlicz motorlearningdeficitsinaneonatalmousemodelofhypoxicischemicinjury
AT weronikamatysik motorlearningdeficitsinaneonatalmousemodelofhypoxicischemicinjury
AT emilyzucker motorlearningdeficitsinaneonatalmousemodelofhypoxicischemicinjury
AT sarahlee motorlearningdeficitsinaneonatalmousemodelofhypoxicischemicinjury
AT hannahmulhern motorlearningdeficitsinaneonatalmousemodelofhypoxicischemicinjury
AT jenniferburnsed motorlearningdeficitsinaneonatalmousemodelofhypoxicischemicinjury