Although no animal model recapitulates all aspects of AD, existing transgenic mouse lines are available that express specific aspects of the disease including amyloid plaques, NFTs, neurodegeneration and behavioral deficits that are consistent with human pathology. Examples of mouse models of AD that express human APP, PSEN-1 and Tau transgenes are listed in Table 1 (see Jankowsky & Zheng, 2017; Webster, Bachstetter, Nelson, Schmitt, & Van Eldik, 2014 for more comprehensive reviews). These and other transgenic mouse lines can be used in combination with alcohol exposure methods (e.g., voluntary drinking, dependence induction, withdrawal, etc.) in preclinical studies to model the impact of alcohol use or misuse on brain and behavioral functions in AD-vulnerable individuals. This relatively unexplored strategy could move the field forward in understanding the impact of alcohol use on health and well-being in older individuals.
