Hippocampal mossy cells exhibit some of the earliest signs of increased excitability in the Tg2576 model of Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative illness characterized by progressive accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) and neurofibrillary tangles, with cognitive impairment and altered neural activity. Hyperexcitability in the early stages of AD contribute to Aβ accumulation and cognitive impairment, aggravating the progression of AD. However, the hyperexcitability origin is not clear. This study aimed to test whether mossy cells (MCs), an excitatory cell of the hippocampal dentate gyrus, show increased excitability at early stages of AD and contribute to the increased network excitability generation. Indeed, alterations of MCs contribute to hyperexcitability and cognitive impairment in epilepsy. However, the role of MCs in AD has not been substantially explored.