Disinhibition-like behavior in a P301S mutant tau transgenic mouse model of frontotemporal dementia

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) presents clinically with behavioral changes including disinhibition. Mutations in the tau-encoding MAPT gene identified in familial cases of FTD have been used to generate transgenic mouse models of the human condition. Here, we report behavioral changes in a recently developed P301S mutant tau transgenic mouse, including disinhibition-like behavior in the elevated plus maze and hyperactivity in the open field arena. Furthermore, histological analysis revealed the amygdala as a primary and early site of pathological tau deposition in these mice. Taken together, neuropathological and behavioral changes in P301S tau transgenic mice resemble features of human FTD. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.