Novel pharmacological and electroceutical approaches for memory improvement in animal models of intellectual disability

Vázquez Oliver, Anna

Novel pharmacological and electroceutical approaches for memory improvement in animal models of intellectual disability

Document Type

Doctoral thesis
Published Version

Author

Vázquez Oliver, Anna

Director

Ozaita, Andres
Maldonado, Rafael

Publication Date

2022-02-18

Pages

323 p.

Embargo date

2026-02-18T17:00:00Z

Citation

Vázquez Oliver, A. Novel pharmacological and electroceutical approaches for memory improvement in animal models of intellectual disability. 2022. handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10803/673557

This citation was generated automatically.

Doctoral program

Programa de doctorat en Biomedicina

Abstract

Intellectual disability is a term used to describe a group of neurodevelopmental disorders defined by deficits in cognitive and adaptive functioning with onset during the developmental period. Preclinical research suggest that pharmaceutical approached might benefit people with intellectual disabilities since mouse models bearing similar genetic modifications to those in human syndromes improve cognitive performance upon treatment. This thesis focused on the therapeutic potential of two different approaches, pharmacological and electroceutical, in two mouse models of intellectual disability. First, we studied therapeutic potential of long-term treatments targeting the endocannabinoid system for memory improvement in a well-characterized mouse model of Down syndrome. Secondly, we explored a new electroceutical approach for memory enhancement in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome based on vagus nerve stimulation. Together, using behavioral, pharmacological, electrostimulation, histological and biochemical approaches, we have described two new therapeutical interventions for memory enhancement in mouse models of intellectual disability.
La discapacitat intel·lectual és un terme que s'utilitza per a descriure un grup de trastorns del neurodesenvolupament definits per dèficits en el funcionament cognitiu que comencen al llarg del període de desenvolupament. Aquesta tesi es va centrar en el potencial terapèutic de dues aproximacions diferents, farmacològica i electrocèutica, en dos models de ratolí de discapacitat intel·lectual. En primer lloc, hem estudiat el potencial terapèutic dels tractaments a llarg termini dirigits al sistema endocannabinoide per a millorar la memòria en un model de ratolí de síndrome de Down. En segon lloc, hem explorat un nou enfocament electrocèutic per a la millora de la memòria en un model de ratolí de la síndrome X fràgil basat en l'estimulació del nervi vague. Conjuntament, utilitzant tècniques conductuals, farmacològics, d'electroestimulació, histològics i bioquímics, hem descrit dues noves aplicacions terapèutiques per a la millora de la memòria en models de ratolí de discapacitat intel·lectual.

Keywords

Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, Endocannabinoid system, Cannabinoid type-1 receptor, Vagus nerve, Sindrome de Down, Síndrome X fràgil, Sistema endocannabinoide, Receptor cannabinoide tipus 1, Nervi vague