Forty-hertz sensory entrainment impedes kindling epileptogenesis and reduces amyloid pathology in an Alzheimer disease mouse model

Abstract

Objective: The 5xFAD mouse model of Alzheimer disease (AD) recapitulates amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition and pronounced seizure susceptibility observed in patients with AD. Forty-hertz audiovisual stimulation is a noninvasive technique that entrains gamma neural oscillations and can reduce Aβ pathology and modulate glial expression in AD models. We hypothesized that 40-Hz sensory stimulation would improve seizure susceptibility in 5xFAD mice and this would be associated with reduction of plaques and modulation of glial phenotypes. Methods: 5xFAD mice and wild-type (WT) littermates received 1 h/day 40-Hz audiovisual stimulation or sham (n = 7–11/group), beginning 2 weeks before and continuing th..