Institute of Neuroscience, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
Behav Brain Res. 2013 Jun 15;247:153-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.03.021. Epub 2013 Mar 22.
Deterioration in executive functions and daily life activities (DLA) are early signs of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that signal the need for caregiver attention. We have addressed this issue in the 3xTg-AD mice model for AD and studied nesting behaviour as a natural DLA of parental structures as well as at early- (6 month-old) and advanced-stages (12 month-old) of the disease in isolated animals. The results show genetic, gender and age-dependent impairment of nesting behaviour but also aware about the relevance of factors such as the temporal course of nest construction and the nesting material. Paper towel consistently showed the impairment of nesting behavior in 3xTg-AD mice since early stages of the disease and in both social conditions. Their nest construction was slow temporal pattern and of poor quality, especially in females and advanced stages of the disease where the deficits were shown from the first day. In all cases, cotton elicited an intense behaviour that lead to perfect nesting during the first 48 h. Genotype, gender and age differences were found in the onset of nesting behaviour, with a time delay in the 3xTg-AD mice, particularly in females. The reported impairment of nesting behaviour in 3xTg-AD provides another behavioral tool to assess the benefits of preventive and/or therapeutic strategies, as well as the potential action of risk factors of AD, in this animal model.
执行功能和日常生活活动（DLA）的恶化是阿尔茨海默病（AD）的早期迹象，表明需要护理人员的关注。我们在 AD 的 3xTg-AD 小鼠模型中解决了这个问题，并研究了筑巢行为作为亲代结构的自然 DLA，以及在疾病的早期（6 个月大）和晚期（12 个月大）孤立动物中。结果表明，筑巢行为存在遗传、性别和年龄依赖性损伤，但也意识到了诸如筑巢时间进程和筑巢材料等因素的相关性。纸巾在疾病的早期和两种社会环境下，始终表现出 3xTg-AD 小鼠筑巢行为的损伤。它们的筑巢时间模式缓慢，质量差，尤其是在雌性和疾病晚期，从第一天就表现出缺陷。在所有情况下，棉花都会引发强烈的行为，导致在最初的 48 小时内完美筑巢。在筑巢行为的开始时发现了基因型、性别和年龄的差异，3xTg-AD 小鼠存在时间延迟，尤其是雌性。在 3xTg-AD 中报告的筑巢行为损伤为评估预防和/或治疗策略的益处提供了另一种行为工具，以及 AD 的风险因素的潜在作用，在这种动物模型中。
