Longitudinal Characterization and Biomarkers of Age and Sex Differences in the Decline of Spatial Memory.

ABSTRACT: The current longitudinal study examined factors (sex, physical function, response to novelty, ability to adapt to a shift in light/dark cycle, brain connectivity), which might predict the emergence of impaired memory during aging. Male and female Fisher 344 rats were tested at 6, 12, and 18 months of age. Impaired spatial memory developed in middle-age (12 months), particularly in males, and the propensity for impairment increased with advanced age. A reduced response to novelty was observed over the course of aging, which is inconsistent with cross-sectional studies. This divergence likely resulted from differences in the history of environmental enrichment/impoverishment for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Animals that exhibited lower level exploration of the inner region on th

SUBMITTER: Febo M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7044155 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature