Age- and Gender-Based Differences in Nest-Building Behavior and Learning and Memory Performance Measured Using a Radial Six-Armed Water Maze in C57BL/6 Mice
Background. Understanding age-based and gender-based behavioral changes is becoming more important as a greater percentage of people lives longer worldwide. In this study, a C57BL/6 mouse animal model was used to study age-based and gender-based behavioral differences using nest building and radial...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2018-01-01
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| Series: | Behavioural Neurology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/8728415 |
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| _version_ | 1832565940961673216 |
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| author | Xiang-Dong Xiong Wei-Dong Xiong Shang-Shen Xiong Gui-Hai Chen |
| author_facet | Xiang-Dong Xiong Wei-Dong Xiong Shang-Shen Xiong Gui-Hai Chen |
| author_sort | Xiang-Dong Xiong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background. Understanding age-based and gender-based behavioral changes is becoming more important as a greater percentage of people lives longer worldwide. In this study, a C57BL/6 mouse animal model was used to study age-based and gender-based behavioral differences using nest building and radial six-armed water maze (RAWM) testing. Methods. In C57BL/6 mice, nest-building behavior was recorded as nesting scores, while spatial learning and memory behaviors were assessed using RAWM platform search errors and latencies. Results. In the nest-building test, nest building significantly declined in nineteen 25-month-old mice compared to that of twenty-three 7-month-old mice. Meanwhile, nest building in 25-month-old mice was lower for eight male mice than for eleven female mice, while no significant gender differences were observed in nest building of 7-month-old mice. RAWM performance also declined in aged versus nonaged adult mice, while no significant gender differences were observed in average RAWM performance regardless of age. Conclusions. In adult C57BL/6 mice, nest building is a sensitive indicator for detecting both age- and gender-based behavioral declines, while RAWM performance, an assessment of spatial learning and memory behaviors, is not sensitive to gender but significantly declines with aging. Therefore, for a C57BL/6 mouse model of aging, both nest building and RAWM should be useful to further study mechanisms involved in behavioral decline with aging. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-94ed4350c9554812a1e99487921b8c22 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0953-4180 1875-8584 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Behavioural Neurology |
| spelling | doaj-art-94ed4350c9554812a1e99487921b8c222025-02-03T01:06:13ZengWileyBehavioural Neurology0953-41801875-85842018-01-01201810.1155/2018/87284158728415Age- and Gender-Based Differences in Nest-Building Behavior and Learning and Memory Performance Measured Using a Radial Six-Armed Water Maze in C57BL/6 MiceXiang-Dong Xiong0Wei-Dong Xiong1Shang-Shen Xiong2Gui-Hai Chen3Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022 Anhui, ChinaDepartment of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022 Anhui, ChinaDepartment of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022 Anhui, ChinaDepartment of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022 Anhui, ChinaBackground. Understanding age-based and gender-based behavioral changes is becoming more important as a greater percentage of people lives longer worldwide. In this study, a C57BL/6 mouse animal model was used to study age-based and gender-based behavioral differences using nest building and radial six-armed water maze (RAWM) testing. Methods. In C57BL/6 mice, nest-building behavior was recorded as nesting scores, while spatial learning and memory behaviors were assessed using RAWM platform search errors and latencies. Results. In the nest-building test, nest building significantly declined in nineteen 25-month-old mice compared to that of twenty-three 7-month-old mice. Meanwhile, nest building in 25-month-old mice was lower for eight male mice than for eleven female mice, while no significant gender differences were observed in nest building of 7-month-old mice. RAWM performance also declined in aged versus nonaged adult mice, while no significant gender differences were observed in average RAWM performance regardless of age. Conclusions. In adult C57BL/6 mice, nest building is a sensitive indicator for detecting both age- and gender-based behavioral declines, while RAWM performance, an assessment of spatial learning and memory behaviors, is not sensitive to gender but significantly declines with aging. Therefore, for a C57BL/6 mouse model of aging, both nest building and RAWM should be useful to further study mechanisms involved in behavioral decline with aging.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/8728415 |
| spellingShingle | Xiang-Dong Xiong Wei-Dong Xiong Shang-Shen Xiong Gui-Hai Chen Age- and Gender-Based Differences in Nest-Building Behavior and Learning and Memory Performance Measured Using a Radial Six-Armed Water Maze in C57BL/6 Mice Behavioural Neurology |
| title | Age- and Gender-Based Differences in Nest-Building Behavior and Learning and Memory Performance Measured Using a Radial Six-Armed Water Maze in C57BL/6 Mice |
| title_full | Age- and Gender-Based Differences in Nest-Building Behavior and Learning and Memory Performance Measured Using a Radial Six-Armed Water Maze in C57BL/6 Mice |
| title_fullStr | Age- and Gender-Based Differences in Nest-Building Behavior and Learning and Memory Performance Measured Using a Radial Six-Armed Water Maze in C57BL/6 Mice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Age- and Gender-Based Differences in Nest-Building Behavior and Learning and Memory Performance Measured Using a Radial Six-Armed Water Maze in C57BL/6 Mice |
| title_short | Age- and Gender-Based Differences in Nest-Building Behavior and Learning and Memory Performance Measured Using a Radial Six-Armed Water Maze in C57BL/6 Mice |
| title_sort | age and gender based differences in nest building behavior and learning and memory performance measured using a radial six armed water maze in c57bl 6 mice |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/8728415 |
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