Evaluating the impact of psoriasis on cognitive function in mouse models by using Morris water maze

Objective To evaluate the impact of psoriasis on spatial learning and memory abilities in mouse models by using Morris water maze. Methods Twenty healthy male C57BL/6J mice aged 10 months were randomly and equally divided into 2 groups: psoriasis group topically treated with imiquimod 5% cream on the back once a day for a week, and control group topically treated with vaseline once a day for a week. After successful establishment of mouse models, the Morris water maze (MWM) test was used to assess the learning and memory abilities in the mice in the 2 groups. Results In the place navigation experiment, the escape latency was significantly longer in the psoriasis group (38.24 ± 13.59 s) than in the control group (14.28 ± 3.80 s, t = 5.37, P 0.05) . Conclusion The spatial learning and memory abilities were impaired in the mouse model of psoriasis. Key words: Psoriasis; Cognition disorders; Learning disorders; Memory disorders; Disease models, animal; Morris water maze