TITLE:
Impact of Experimental Diabetes on Memory Performance in Mice
AUTHORS:
Prisca Joëlle Djoman Doubran, Kouassi Emile Begbin, Akoua Jeanne Kanga, Némé Antoine Tako
KEYWORDS:
Diabetes, Spatial Memory, Cognitive Impairment, T-Maze
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.14 No.7,
July
17,
2026
ABSTRACT: Diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem due to its global spread and the severity of its complications, particularly cognitive impairment, which affects life expectancy and quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of alloxan-induced experimental diabetes on memory performance in mice. The study was conducted on adult male mice aged 12 to 14 weeks, weighing between 28 and 33 g, divided into a diabetic group and a non-diabetic control group. Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of alloxan (220 mg/kg). Blood glucose levels and body weight were measured weekly over the four weeks of the experiment. Spatial memory was assessed using the T-maze test according to the spontaneous alternation method. Diabetic mice showed severe and persistent hyperglycemia and significant progressive weight loss compared to controls. The memory performance of diabetic mice declined progressively, with the alternation rate falling from 81.05 ± 1.61% to 60.52 ± 1.96% over four weeks, while the control group remained stable at around 83.68 ± 1.99 % and 85.79 ± 1.12%. The differences between groups were significant (p