Exploring the Effects of Swimming Exercise on Anxiety-like, Cognitive, and Noncognitive Behaviors Using the rTg4510 Tau Mouse Model

Background/Objectives: Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of both amyloid and tau pathology. Lifestyle factors, including exercise, have been shown to be protective against dementia and warrant continued exploration. This study used the rTg4510 tauopathy mouse model to specifically explore how anxiety-like, cognitive, and noncognitive behaviors can be potentially improved by a swimming exercise regimen. Methods: Male and female rTg4510 mice and wildtype controls underwent a five-week swimming exercise paradigm and were tested in anxiety-like, cognitive, and noncognitive behavioral tasks, including burrowing and nesting assays. Results: Swimming exercise led to significant effects on locomotion in the open field test (OFT), with those given exercise having reduced total distance and distance traveled in the surround region (p < 0.05). Tau mice given swimming exercise showed significantly decreased latencies in entering the center of the OFT (p < 0.05), indicating improvements in anxiety-like behavior. Swimming exercise had a significant effect on burrowing behavior, where those mice given exercise burrowed significantly more pea gravel than those not exercising both after two hours and overnight (p < 0.001). We also report significant associations between anxiety-like behavior measures from the OFT and burrowing activity seen specifically in Tau mice. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential effectiveness of aerobic exercise to affect anxiety-like and noncognitive behaviors. Despite swimming exercise not specifically affecting tau mice, this study highlights the importance of including noncognitive measures and both sexes when studying the connection between lifestyle factors and behavior.