bioRxiv Science⌕ Search
Home/Archive/bioRxiv

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.10.22.683969

Associations Between Frailty and Cognitive Outcomes Across the Lifespan of Mice

Bartman, S.·Gaspar, L.·Kane, A.·Potts, E.·Sinclair, D. A.·Coppotelli, G.·Ross, J. M.
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Advancements in monitoring biological and brain aging with precise measures of health and longevity have the potential to accelerate research on pharmacological, genetic, and aging-related interventions. Over the past decade, frailty index has been used as an assessment tool for rodents, evaluating more than 30 non-invasive parameters that are strongly associated with chronological age, correlated with mortality, and sensitive to lifespan-altering interventions. However, whether aging phenotypes captured by the frailty index reflect brain aging remains unclear. In this study, we examined the relationship between frailty index and cognitive ability in young (3-4 months), middle-aged (12 months), and old (24 months) male and female C57BL/6J mice using a battery of behavioral and locomotor assays to determine whether frailty index scores can predict performance in tasks evaluating behavioral and cognitive function. Among the behavioral assays tested, frailty index scores had good correlation with the percentage of time spent in the center of the open-field apparatus, the duration spent in the open arms of the elevated plus maze, and the time spent in the target hole of the Barnes maze. These findings indicate that the frailty index not only reflects general physiological aging but may also serve as a reliable predictor of age-related cognitive decline in mice, providing a valuable tool for studies of interventions targeting brain aging.

Explore related subjects

neurosciencePreprint

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Bartman, S., Gaspar, L., Kane, A., Potts, E., Sinclair, D. A., Coppotelli, G., Ross, J. M.. 2025-10-23. Associations Between Frailty and Cognitive Outcomes Across the Lifespan of Mice. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.10.22.683969

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related preprints

bioRxiv2026

A Mechanistic Account of Dedifferentiation in the Aging Visual System

To uncover the mechanisms of age-related dedifferentiation, we simulated neural degradation in a computational model of the ventral visual stream. Severing connections or adding noise, whether in inferotemporal cortex (IT) or upstream, reduced IT differentiation, indicating that dedifferentiation need not originate locally. Degrading peripheral V1, which preferentially drove place-selective IT neurons, selectively reduced place differentiation, a candidate mechanism for the stronger place dedifferentiation reported in aging.

neuroscience↗
bioRxiv2026

Reusing pipettes in Patch-seq: a foundation for automated multimodal profiling

Patch-seq is a technique for single-cell multimodal characterization. It combines whole-cell electrophysiology, single-cell transcriptomics, and morphological reconstruction in single neurons. Patch-seq morphologies are a critical bridge among cell types, genes, physiology, and large-scale connectivity platforms such as EM connectomes and single-cell-resolution projectomes. However, patch-seq experimental complexity and operator dependence limit throughput. Automation could enable scalable Patch-seq but requires procedural adaptations, including detergent-based pipette cleaning, robotic nucleus extraction and collection. The impact of these automations on Patch-seq quality has not been systematically evaluated. Here, we show that each of these modifications preserves or improves key Patch-seq outcomes. Automated nucleus extraction performs comparably to, or better than, expert manual operation, preserving key RNA and morphological metrics. Detergent-cleaned, reused pipettes supported a viable sealing success rate across multiple cleaning cycles and preserved electrophysiological quality and transcriptomic yield without introducing excess contamination. Sonication effectively allows collection of nuclear material without damaging RNA and supports subsequent pipette cleaning and reuse. Enhanced automated sealing and break-in procedures increased throughput regardless of brain region, cell type or species. Together, these results validate the core procedural adaptations required for automated Patch-seq and establish a foundation for high-throughput, standardized multimodal single-cell characterization.

neuroscience↗
bioRxiv2026

Development of direction selectivity in the Xenopus tadpole optic tectum and midbrain tegmentum

Detecting motion direction is a fundamental function performed by direction selective (DS) neurons. DS neurons in the optic tectum (superior colliculus in mammals) enable the tracking of moving objects. DS neurons of the accessory optic system support reflexive eye / head movements that stabilize gaze during self-motion. By developmental stage 48 (10 days postfertilization), Xenopus tadpoles display visually guided behaviors that require both types of DS neurons. Our previous work has shown that these two regions are not only functionally distinct but also follow different developmental programs. Here we characterized and compared how direction selectivity develops in both visual processing centers. Using in vivo electrophysiological recordings during moving bar visual stimulation, we measured DS synaptic inputs and spiking outputs in both regions across three key developmental stages of the retinotectal projection. Tegmental neurons were direction selective ab initio, and both input and output tuning remained stable across development. Tectal neurons were observed to receive DS inputs early, and their input selectivity also remained stable across development. However, their spiking output grew substantially more DS at the later developmental stage. This was due at least in part to a naturally occurring decrease in intrinsic excitability which preferentially dampened overall spike rates, but especially in response to the non-preferred direction of motion, thereby increasing direction selectivity. These results reveal distinct developmental trajectories in parallel visual pathways. Tegmental direction selectivity is established early and stays stable, whereas tectal output tuning sharpens during development through a decrease in intrinsic excitability.

neuroscience↗