, 2007, Menalled et al., 2009 and Trueman et al., 2009). Cognitive phenotypes can again be measured in many ways, but tasks based on spatial learning and memory such as the Morris water maze or T maze (swimming or elevated) have been used to reveal deficits in initial task learning and relearning upon parameter changes. Four- to five-week-old R6/2 mice learn the Morris water maze as well as wild-types when the platform is visible but display spatial memory deficits when the platform is hidden, and cannot relearn upon platform movement as well as wild-type

mice. Two-choice swim testing revealed an earlier deficit in task reversal (6.5 weeks) than for initial buy ABT-888 visual learning of the task (10-11 weeks) (Lione et al., 1999). Initial visual learning deficiency of the two-choice swim test was also found in YAC128 mice (Van Raamsdonk et al., 2005c), but HdhQ150 knockins displayed no learning deficits on the Morris water maze (Heng et al., 2007). Cognitive tests are challenging to standardize as environmental conditions and spatial cues are difficult to replicate from lab to lab and can influence animals’ performance in behavioral tests. Despite these challenges, these consistent Selleck BGB324 observations from many different labs demonstrating a clear effect on cognitive performance in HD model mice suggests that the cognitive decline

commonly observed in HD patients is well represented by HD model mice. Human neuropathology is characterized by a severe Parvulin loss of striatal volume (in particular the caudate nucleus). Medium spiny neurons, but not interneurons, are lost, and reactive gliosis is apparent (Sharp and Ross, 1996). Cortical degeneration is also prominent in late stages. HTT inclusions in patients are only found in a small fraction of cells (Gourfinkel-An et al., 1998), though they are visible in almost all HD patient brains with a clinical grade of at least 2 (Herndon et al., 2009). Within HD model mice, the progressive neuropathology is unique for each strain, but they share some commonalities. N-terminal transgene strains display neuropathology at or prior to symptom onset. In contrast to patients,

neuron loss is somewhat minimal, but R6/2 brains decrease in weight as much as 20% with enlargement of the lateral ventricles (Mangiarini et al., 1996). They demonstrate neuronal intranuclear inclusions (NIIs) as early as at birth (Stack et al., 2005), though NIIs are typically reported in this strain around 3–4.5 weeks (Davies et al., 1997, Meade et al., 2002 and Morton et al., 2000), significantly prior to onset of easily observed symptoms. Inclusions were found in the cortex, striatum, cerebellum, spinal cord, and hippocampus, and progressively increase in prevalence and size (Meade et al., 2002). Despite this, chimera studies suggest that medium spiny neurons (MSNs) bearing large inclusions can survive for almost a year (Reiner et al., 2007) when surrounded by wild-type cells.