Logo do repositório
 
A carregar...
Logótipo do projeto
Projeto de investigação

Sem título

Autores

Publicações

Impairment of spatial working memory but preservation of recognition memory in female rats with spontaneous absence seizures
Publication . Neuparth-Sottomayor, Mariana; Morais, Tatiana P.; Good, Mark; Sebastião, Ana M; Di Giovanni, Giuseppe; Crunelli, Vincenzo; Vaz, Sandra H.
Epidemiological studies reveal gender-specific differences in epilepsy. Childhood absence epilepsy (CAE), which is more prevalent in females, is characterized by typical absence seizures (ASs) consisting of brief periods of unconsciousness, associated with 2.5-4 Hz spike-wave discharges (SWDs) in the electroencephalogram (EEG). Children with CAE often present neuropsychological comorbidities, including deficits in attention and executive function. In this study, we investigated anxiety-like behaviour and memory in female Genetic Absence Epilepsy Rat from Strasbourg (GAERS), a validated model of ASs, compared to Non-Epileptic Control (NEC) and Wistar rats. We found that female GAERS generally showed normal anxiety-like behaviour relative to both control strains, although some tests suggested a reduction in anxiety. Importantly, female GAERS showed impaired spatial working memory, while recognition memory was preserved. These findings when compared with previous data in males indicate that while anxiety levels in female GAERS are preserved as those of male GAERS, memory performance differs, with males showing impairments in both spatial working memory and recognition memory. These findings emphasize the importance of considering gender differences in both clinical and preclinical epilepsy research to better understand the neuropsychological comorbidities associates with ASs. This knowledge is crucial for the identification of gender-specific mechanism, as well as the development of gender-sensitive, personalized therapies targeting both seizures and associated cognitive impairments.

Unidades organizacionais

Descrição

Palavras-chave

Contribuidores

Financiadores

Entidade financiadora

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Programa de financiamento

Concurso para Financiamento de Projetos de Investigação Científica e Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Todos os Domínios Científicos - 2017

Número da atribuição

PTDC/MED-FAR/30933/2017

ID