# Lurcher Mouse as a Model of Cerebellar Syndromes

## TL;DR

The Lurcher mouse is a model for studying cerebellar diseases, showing motor and cognitive deficits similar to human conditions.

## Contribution

The paper highlights the Lurcher mouse as a selective model for cerebellar degeneration with potential for studying functional impairments.

## Key findings

- Lurcher mice exhibit motor deficits and cognitive changes similar to cerebellar patients.
- The model's degeneration is selective to the olivocerebellar system.
- Further validation is needed to confirm the model's advantages over other models.

## Abstract

Cerebellar extinction lesions can manifest themselves with cerebellar motor and cerebellar cognitive affective syndromes. For investigation of the functions of the cerebellum and the pathogenesis of cerebellar diseases, particularly hereditary neurodegenerative cerebellar ataxias, various cerebellar mutant mice are used. The Lurcher mouse is a model of selective olivocerebellar degeneration with early onset and rapid progress. These mice show both motor deficits as well as cognitive and behavioral changes i.e., pathological phenotype in the functional domains affected in cerebellar patients. Therefore, Lurcher mice might be considered as a tool to investigate the mechanisms of functional impairments caused by cerebellar degenerative diseases. There are, however, limitations due to the particular features of the neurodegenerative process and a lack of possibilities to examine some processes in mice. The main advantage of Lurcher mice would be the expected absence of significant neuropathologies outside the olivocerebellar system that modify the complex behavioral phenotype in less selective models. However, detailed examinations and further thorough validation of the model are needed to verify this assumption.

Not applicable.