A sex difference in the onset of the latent learning impairment in rats

ABSTRACT The current study examined a sex difference in the onset of a latent learning impairment in Sprague–Dawley rats. Forty rats (20 male, 20 female) were tested on the Latent Cue Preference (LCP) task at 3 or 11 months of age. Additionally, 19 female rats were tested at 14 or 18 months of age....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Developmental psychobiology 2014-07, Vol.56 (5), p.1134-1141
Main Authors: Stouffer, Eric M., Barry, Jessica L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
aging
Animals
Cues
Drinking - physiology
Female
latent learning
Learning - physiology
Male
middle age
Motivation - physiology
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Sex Characteristics
sex difference
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Summary:ABSTRACT The current study examined a sex difference in the onset of a latent learning impairment in Sprague–Dawley rats. Forty rats (20 male, 20 female) were tested on the Latent Cue Preference (LCP) task at 3 or 11 months of age. Additionally, 19 female rats were tested at 14 or 18 months of age. All rats were given four training trials in the LCP task using a three‐compartment box, during which the rats explored a water‐paired compartment and an unpaired compartment (each with a different visual cue) on consecutive days. Rats were then water‐deprived for 23 hr and given a compartment preference test, in which more time spent in the water‐paired compartment demonstrated latent learning. Results showed that 11‐month old males and 18‐month old females showed impaired latent learning, but 11‐ and 14‐month old females showed intact latent learning, which may possibly be due to the neuroprotective effects of estrogen. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 56: 1134–1141, 2014.
ISSN:0012-1630
1098-2302
DOI:10.1002/dev.21168