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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2024.01.18.576285

PINK1 knockout rats show premotor cognitive deficits measured through a complex maze

Soto, I.·Nejtek, V.·Siderovksi, D.·Salvatore, M. F.
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Abstract

Cognitive decline in Parkinsons disease (PD) emerges up to 10 years before clinical recognition. Neurobiological mechanisms underlying premotor cognitive impairment in PD can potentially be examined in the PINK1-/- rat, which exhibits a protracted motor onset. To enhance translation to human PD cognitive assessments, we tested a modified multiple T-maze, which measures cognitive flexibility similarly to the Trail-Making Test in humans. Like human PD outcomes, PINK1-/- rats made more errors and took longer to complete the maze than wild types. Thus, we have identified a potential tool for assessing cross-species translation of cognitive functioning in an established PD animal model.

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Soto, I., Nejtek, V., Siderovksi, D., Salvatore, M. F.. 2024-01-20. PINK1 knockout rats show premotor cognitive deficits measured through a complex maze. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.01.18.576285

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