FIGURE 4.

Orthopedic surgery triggers deficits in attention processes in CVN‐AD mice and impairs neuronal markers. Attention was assessed using the 5‐choice serial reaction time task (5‐CSRTT) in 12‐month‐old C57 and CVN‐AD mice. A, All the mice had over 80% responses (including correct and incorrect responses) in 40 daily trials throughout the testing days. B, On postoperative day 1 and 2, CVD‐AD mice showed significantly higher incidence of incorrect responses compared to baseline. Furthermore, the incorrect response ratio on postoperative day 1 was significantly higher in CVN‐AD mice compared to C57. C, The increase of incorrect response from baseline (average of results of 3 days prior to surgery) to postoperative day 1 was higher in CVN‐AD mice compared to C57. D‐F, Neuronal cytoarchitecture in the dentate gyrus (DG) area of the hippocampus. The expression of MAP2 was reduced in the DG of operated 12‐month‐old C57 as well as CVN‐AD mice, although the number of neurons were not significantly affected. Results are shown as mean ± standard error of the mean, n = 8‐9/group (behavior) and n = 4/group (histology). ^**P < .01, ^* P < .05, as determined by repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni corrections for 5‐CSRTT and as measured by two‐way ANOVA with Tukey's test for multiple comparison for histology. Scale bar = 50 µm