Short-term memory acquisition in female Huntington's disease mice is vulnerable to acute stress

Behav Brain Res. 2013 Sep 15:253:318-22. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.07.041. Epub 2013 Jul 31.

Abstract

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder marked by cognitive, psychiatric and motor decline, and is modifiable by unidentified environmental factors. We examined the effects of stress on cognitive function in R6/1 HD transgenic mice. Utilizing the Y-maze to assess short-term memory, we report that only female HD mice displayed vulnerability to 1h of confinement stress reflected by impaired memory acquisition. This could not be attributed to a different corticosterone response or exploratory behaviour in the task. This is the first demonstration of increased stress susceptibility in an animal model of HD involving a direct negative impact on cognitive function.

Keywords: Acute stress; Corticosterone; Huntington's disease; Sexual dimorphism; Short-term memory; Y-maze.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cognition / physiology
  • Corticosterone / metabolism
  • Exploratory Behavior / physiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Huntington Disease / psychology*
  • Male
  • Maze Learning / physiology
  • Memory, Short-Term / physiology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Psychomotor Performance / physiology
  • Restraint, Physical
  • Sex Characteristics
  • Stress, Psychological / psychology*

Substances

  • Corticosterone