Video-based quantitative analysis of orofacial movements in a Parkinson’s Disease Mouse Model Pubblico

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) manifests with both motor and non-motor symptoms, including facial

hypomimia and olfactory dysfunction. To characterize these orofacial features, we conducted a

longitudinal, video-based analysis of facial and nose movements in MitoPark mice—an

established transgenic model of PD—during a head-fixed, bi-directional water-reaching task.

Using synchronized dual-view video recordings, we quantified facial motion energy (FME) for

selected face regions and tracked nose movement. Trials were categorized by behavioral

outcome and reward direction, and both amplitude and bout metrics of movement were analyzed

across age. A total of 4 MitoPark and 3 control mice were tested across multiple weeks spanning

early to late ages during Parkinsonism symptom progression. Our analysis revealed that FME

captured subtle but progressive changes in facial activity in MitoPark mice. In particular, motion

in the Whisker region decreased with age, consistent with facial hypomimia, while activity in the

Eye and Upper Nose regions increased, possibly reflecting dysregulated or stress-related

movements. Movement bout analysis showed increased bout occurrence with age, which may

reflect impaired ability to execute sustained facial movements. In contrast, nose movement traces

revealed lateralized response biases toward sensory cues in some individual mice (regardless of

genotype), while a general decline in nose movement amplitude was observed across MitoPark

mice over time. This decline, along with reduced pre- and post-reward nose movement bouts,

may indicate olfactory-related impairments such as diminished sniffing, aligning with early-stage

PD pathology. Overall, this study provides a detailed, time-resolved characterization of orofacial

movement changes in MitoPark mice that contributes to a more comprehensive non-motor and

motor symptom profile of the MitoPark model and further supporting its relevance as a

preclinical model of Parkinson’s disease.

Table of Contents

Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………1

Methods ……………………………………………………………….………………………….5

Results …………………………………………………………………………………………...13

Discussion ……………………………………………………………………………………….25

References ……………………………………………………………………………………….31

Supplementary Figures ………………………………………………………………………….36

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Biology
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Biology, Neuroscience
Parola chiave	Parkinson's Disease Hypomimia Orofacial Movement
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Dieter Jaeger, Emory University
Committee Members	Adriana Galvan, Emory University Gordon Berman, Emory University

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