Academic Journal
Biological sex and normative cognitive aging across spatial learning, flexibility, and working memory in Fischer 344 rats.
| Τίτλος: | Biological sex and normative cognitive aging across spatial learning, flexibility, and working memory in Fischer 344 rats. |
|---|---|
| Συγγραφείς: | Faghihi Z; Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina., Horovitz DJ; Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine., Newman LA; Department of Psychological Science, Vassar College., Vento PJ; Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina., McQuail JA; Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine. |
| Πηγή: | Behavioral neuroscience [Behav Neurosci] 2026 Aug; Vol. 140 (4), pp. 255-266. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jun 15. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: American Psychological Association Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 8302411 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1939-0084 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 07357044 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Behav Neurosci Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: Washington, D.C. : American Psychological Association, [c1983- |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Memory, Short-Term*/physiology , Spatial Learning*/physiology , Cognitive Aging*/physiology , Aging*/physiology, Cognitive Flexibility/physiology ; Maze Learning/physiology ; Reversal Learning/physiology ; Cognition/physiology ; Animals ; Female ; Male ; Rats, Inbred F344 ; Rats ; Sex Characteristics ; Age Factors |
| Περίληψη: | Aging is associated with decline in spatial learning, cognitive flexibility, and working memory, yet the extent to which biological sex modulates changes in cognitive function remains unresolved. While sex differences are evident in pathological brain aging, sparse insights from healthy aging populations suggest that sex effects on cognition are modest and domain specific. To systematically test effects of biological sex across the lifespan on specific aspects of cognitive function, we examined age- and sex-related changes in spatial cognition in a large cohort of Fischer 344 rats (N = 373), including young (4-8 months), middle-aged (12-16 months), and older aged (22-26 months) males and females. Rats were assessed on spatial reference learning, reversal learning, and working memory versions of the Morris water maze, with performance quantified using proximity-based measures, providing sensitive, individualized indices of spatial learning. Across all tasks, age accounted for the largest proportion of variance, with older rats exhibiting impairments in spatial learning, flexibility, and working memory relative to young adults. In contrast, effects of sex or interactions with age were limited to certain aspects of performance and were substantially smaller relative to age and training effects. Specifically, a female-specific association between spatial reference memory and reversal learning was observed despite comparable overall performance. Performance on visible-platform control trials did not indicate gross sensorimotor impairments that would account for age-related spatial deficits. Together, findings demonstrate age is the primary determinant of spatial cognitive decline under normative conditions, while sex-related influences, if present, are subtle and task dependent. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved). |
| References: | Ann Neurol. 2013 Sep;74(3):478-89. (PMID: 23798485) Physiol Behav. 2003 Oct;80(1):27-36. (PMID: 14568305) Front Aging Neurosci. 2014 Jan 21;6:2. (PMID: 24478698) Neurology. 1999 Jan 1;52(1):78-84. (PMID: 9921852) Learn Mem. 2002 Jul-Aug;9(4):191-201. (PMID: 12177232) Behav Neurosci. 2026 Feb;140(1):11-27. (PMID: 41264493) Physiol Behav. 2025 Dec 1;302:115101. (PMID: 40935308) Physiol Behav. 1988;43(5):625-30. (PMID: 3200918) Neurobiol Aging. 2002 Jul-Aug;23(4):555-64. (PMID: 12009505) Neurobiol Aging. 2022 Jan;109:88-99. (PMID: 34700200) Neurobiol Aging. 2015 Jan;36(1):323-33. (PMID: 25086838) Front Aging Neurosci. 2020 Feb 20;12:34. (PMID: 32153384) Arch Neurol. 2002 Oct;59(10):1589-93. (PMID: 12374497) Biol Sex Differ. 2016 Jul 26;7:34. (PMID: 27468347) Neurobiol Aging. 1994 Nov-Dec;15(6):733-41. (PMID: 7891829) Behav Brain Res. 1985 Oct;17(3):193-202. (PMID: 4084391) Hippocampus. 1999;9(2):118-36. (PMID: 10226773) Nat Protoc. 2006;1(2):848-58. (PMID: 17406317) Nature. 1982 Jun 24;297(5868):681-3. (PMID: 7088155) Brain Res. 1994 Aug 1;652(2):323-33. (PMID: 7953746) Stroke. 2021 Jun;52(6):2134-2142. (PMID: 33902296) Behav Neurosci. 2020 Apr;134(2):69-81. (PMID: 31886694) JAMA. 1989 Nov 10;262(18):2551-6. (PMID: 2810583) Behav Brain Res. 2012 Feb 1;227(1):258-64. (PMID: 22085876) Behav Neurosci. 1993 Aug;107(4):618-26. (PMID: 8397866) JAMA. 1995 May 3;273(17):1354-9. (PMID: 7715060) Alzheimers Dement. 2015 Mar;11(3):310-320. (PMID: 24418058) J Comp Neurol. 2024 Apr;532(4):e25610. (PMID: 38605461) Neurosci Lett. 1999 Jul 16;269(3):141-4. (PMID: 10454152) Neurology. 2016 Nov 1;87(18):1916-1924. (PMID: 27708128) Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1998 Sep;55(9):809-15. (PMID: 9736007) Neurobiol Aging. 2014 Dec;35(12):2791-2802. (PMID: 25104561) Behav Neurosci. 2022 Feb;136(1):13-18. (PMID: 34553963) Horm Behav. 2004 May;45(5):330-8. (PMID: 15109907) Alzheimers Dement (N Y). 2015 Sep 1;1(2):103-110. (PMID: 26451386) Behav Neurosci. 2014 Dec;128(6):676-88. (PMID: 25420127) eNeuro. 2019 Jul 25;6(4):. (PMID: 31262949) J Neurosci. 1999 Sep 15;19(18):8122-33. (PMID: 10479712) JAMA Neurol. 2020 Jun 1;77(6):735-745. (PMID: 32250387) JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Feb 1;4(2):e210169. (PMID: 33630089) Neurobiol Aging. 2009 Apr;30(4):646-55. (PMID: 17889407) Neurology. 2003 Jan 14;60(1):82-6. (PMID: 12525723) Psychol Aging. 2016 Mar;31(2):166-75. (PMID: 26796792) BMJ. 2012 Jan 05;344:d7622. (PMID: 22223828) Neurosci Res. 2015 Apr;93:136-43. (PMID: 25315397) |
| Grant Information: | K01 AG061263 United States AG NIA NIH HHS; P20 GM109091 United States GM NIGMS NIH HHS; United States NH NIH HHS |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260615 Date Completed: 20260706 Latest Revision: 20260922 |
| Update Code: | 20260922 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC13271161 |
| DOI: | 10.1037/bne0000656 |
| PMID: | 42295234 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1939-0084 |
|---|---|
| DOI: | 10.1037/bne0000656 |