Hawra Alalwan
National Institute of Health, USA
Title: Cuprizone Mouse Model of Demyelination: Environmental Enhancement Reverses Cognitive Deficits.
Biography
Biography: Hawra Alalwan
Abstract
Background: Impairment in cognitive functioning and motor activity are commonly encountered in patients affected by multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective: To investigate the effect of enhanced environment on cuprizone mouse model of demyelination. Methods: C57BL/6 male mice were divided into cuprizone only (Cup-O), cuprizone housed in EE (Cup-EE) and control groups (9 to 10 per group). Environmental enhancement continued for a period of nine weeks. Neurobehavioral tests were conducted after a six-week period of 0.2% cuprizone-enriched diet. All mice were assessed for cognitive performance in the Morris water maze, motor function in rotarod and exploratory behavior in open field test. Results: Cup-EE performed significantly better in fields of spatial learning and memory and motor functioning when compared to Cup-O as evident by Morris water maze (p<0.001) and rotarod (p<0.05) results. Open field test results failed to show an anxiety-like behavior in cuprizone mouse model. Conclusion: Environmental enhancement can improve MS-associated cognitive and motor deficits. Insights gained from these results facilitate the exploration of non-medical modes of intervention as an emerging adjuvant therapy in MS.