Open AccessEarly age-related cognitive impairment in mice lacking cannabinoid CB1 receptors
Author(s) -
András Bilkei-Gorzó,
Ildikó Rácz,
Olga Valverde,
Margot Otto,
Kerstin Michel,
M. Sarstre,
Andreas Zimmer
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.0504640102
Subject(s) - cannabinoid receptor , cannabinoid , hippocampus , neuroscience , receptor , memory impairment , cognition , pathological , biology , endocannabinoid system , cognitive decline , psychology , medicine , dementia , genetics , antagonist , disease
The molecular mechanisms contributing to the normal age-related decline of cognitive functions or to pathological learning and memory impairment are largely unknown. We demonstrate here that young mice (6–7 weeks) with a genetic deletion of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor performed as well as WT mice, or often better, in a number of learning and memory paradigms, including animal models of skill-learning, partner recognition, and operant conditioning. In contrast, the performance of mature mice (3–5 months) lacking CB1 receptors was much worse than that of age-matched WT animals. In most tests, these mice performed at the same level as old animals (14–17 months), suggesting that the decline in cognitive functions is accelerated in the absence of CB1 receptors. This rapid decline in CB1-deficient animals is accompanied by a loss of neurons in the CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus.