A53T mice exhibit deficits in grooming and nest building at an early age.

<p>Sensorimotor skills were assessed by the ability of mice to groom themselves and the speed and quality of nest building. Results from a combination of 11 different grooming behaviors show A53T mice groom significantly less than their wild type littermates beginning at 2 months of age (A). The nest building ability (rated on a scale of 0–6) of A53T mice is significantly impaired at the 24-hour time point in 2, 6 and 12 month mice (B). Although A53T mice build nests, they are less proficient than their wild type littermates as illustrated by the nesting time course (1, 3, 5 and 24 hours) for each age group. Age-adjusted tests by time show significant effects at 1 HR (Bonferroni adjusted p<0.01; 6 month group), as well as hours 3, 5, and 24 (Bonferroni adjusted p<0.0001; all age groups) (C). Graphs are representative of data collected from 2–3 independent cohorts of animals with 8–15 mice per group. Data plotted as Mean+/− SEM. Bonferonni post hoc test **p<0.01; ***p<0.0001; HR = Hour, M = Month, WT-Wild type, HO = Homozygous.