Does Lifelong Cognitive Practice Influence Age-Related Cognitive Changes?
Crain, Ian; Talboom, Joshua; Engler, Elizabeth; Sundin, Britny; Zay, Cynthia; and Bimonte-Nelson, Heather
Department of Psychology, Arizona State University
An age-related deterioration in cognition has been well-documented in humans and animal models, including the rodent. Human research has shown that university professors experienced less cognitive decline when compared to an age-matched group with less education. Further, participation in cognitively-stimulating activity is associated with reduced cognitive decline in the elderly, and college graduates live and maintain independence longer when elderly. These findings from the human literature converge to suggest that prior cognitive experience protects against age-related cognitive decline. We tested this hypothesis using the rodent model. Beginning at six months of age, male and female rats received practice on a working or reference memory water-escape t-maze task. In addition, one male and one female group received a control task with all components of cognitive maze testing with the exception that their task had minimal memory demand. An additional control group remained in their cage throughout the entire 18 month period. At 22 months of age, all rats were tested on a final battery of reference and working memory tasks. This longitudinal study will allow us to evaluate (1) whether lifelong cognitive practice delays age-related cognitive changes, (2) whether type of memory practice influences which memory domains are protected, (3) how the procedural components of maze testing (exercise via swimming for example) influences age-related cognitive change, as well as (4) whether any of these factors are influenced by sex. Final analyses are pending, and will be presented in the final poster.