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The BACHD Rat Model of Huntington Disease Shows Signs of Fronto-Striatal Dysfunction in Two Operant Conditioning Tests of Short-Term Memory

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  • Erik Karl Håkan Clemensson
  • Laura Emily Clemensson
  • Olaf Riess
  • Huu Phuc Nguyen

Abstract

The BACHD rat is a recently developed transgenic animal model of Huntington disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by extensive loss of striatal neurons. Cognitive impairments are common among patients, and characterization of similar deficits in animal models of the disease is therefore of interest. The present study assessed the BACHD rats' performance in the delayed alternation and the delayed non-matching to position test, two Skinner box-based tests of short-term memory function. The transgenic rats showed impaired performance in both tests, indicating general problems with handling basic aspects of the tests, while short-term memory appeared to be intact. Similar phenotypes have been found in rats with fronto-striatal lesions, suggesting that Huntington disease-related neuropathology might be present in the BACHD rats. Further analyses indicated that the performance deficit in the delayed alternation test might be due to impaired inhibitory control, which has also been implicated in Huntington disease patients. The study ultimately suggests that the BACHD rats might suffer from neuropathology and cognitive impairments reminiscent of those of Huntington disease patients.

Suggested Citation

  • Erik Karl Håkan Clemensson & Laura Emily Clemensson & Olaf Riess & Huu Phuc Nguyen, 2017. "The BACHD Rat Model of Huntington Disease Shows Signs of Fronto-Striatal Dysfunction in Two Operant Conditioning Tests of Short-Term Memory," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(1), pages 1-45, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0169051
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169051
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Erik Karl Håkan Jansson & Laura Emily Clemens & Olaf Riess & Huu Phuc Nguyen, 2014. "Reduced Motivation in the BACHD Rat Model of Huntington Disease Is Dependent on the Choice of Food Deprivation Strategy," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(8), pages 1-15, August.
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