Animal models of dementia and cognitive dysfunction

Recent advances in the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive deficits have pointed to novel strategies for drug development. Animal models have contributed noticeably to these advances and are an indispensible part in the evaluation of therapeutics. This review is an exhaustive study of animal models of dementia and cognitive dysfunction. A thorough and critical evaluation of current rodent models of dementia, and discussion about their role in drug discovery and development have been carried out. Since dementia has multiple pathophysiological mechanisms, we have tried to provide a detailed description of various types of animal models which would depict different pathophysiological stages and causes of dementia. This review aims to better understand the prognosis, biochemical, and behavioral alterations that occur during dementia and hence facilitate drug discovery and development. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.