Time-frequency analysis of 5xFAD mice circadian actigrams as early behavioral diagnostics

Abstract Wavelet analysis is a powerful tool for studying behaviors across scales and timing. We used it to analyze spontaneous motor activity in 3-month-old 5xFAD mice and their wild-type littermates, focusing on sex and genotype differences. Mice were placed in home cages 24 hours before recording, and their movements generated oscillations in the environment, which were recorded and analyzed using wavelet transforms. Initially, there were no differences in activity between transgenic and non-transgenic mice for either sex. However, after eight hours, male transgenic mice showed significant differences, lasting from 64 to 256 minutes, while females exhibited disparities after twelve hours, with events lasting 32 to 128 minutes. Transgenic mice had lower interaction levels with their environment during the second half of the experiment. These findings suggest that genotype influences spontaneous motor activity, aligning with human data and supporting the use of non-invasive methods to assess pathology severity and therapeutic efficacy in preclinical studies. Detecting frequency and timing discrepancies between transgenic and non-transgenic animals provides valuable diagnostic insights.