Size and reversal learning in the beagle dog as a measure of executive function and inhibitory control in aging

Several studies converge on the idea that executive processes age earlier than other cognitive processes. As part of a larger effort to investigate age-related changes in executive processes in the dog, inhibitory control was measured in young, middle-aged, old, and senior dogs using size discrimina...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Learning & memory (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2003-01, Vol.10 (1), p.64-73
Main Authors: Tapp, P Dwight, Siwak, Christina T, Estrada, Jimena, Head, Elizabeth, Muggenburg, Bruce A, Cotman, Carl W, Milgram, Norton W
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aging - physiology
Animals
Cognition - physiology
Discrimination Learning - physiology
Dogs
Frontal Lobe - physiology
Inhibition, Psychological
Research Paper
Reversal Learning - physiology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Several studies converge on the idea that executive processes age earlier than other cognitive processes. As part of a larger effort to investigate age-related changes in executive processes in the dog, inhibitory control was measured in young, middle-aged, old, and senior dogs using size discrimination learning and reversal procedures. Compared to young and middle-aged dogs, old and senior dogs were impaired on both the initial learning of the size task and the reversal of original reward contingencies. Impaired performance in the two aged groups was characterized as a delay in learning the correct stimulus-reward contingencies and, among the senior dogs in particular, an increase in perseverative responding. These separate patterns of reversal impairments in the old and senior dogs may reflect different rates of aging in subregions of the frontal cortex.
ISSN:1072-0502
1549-5485
DOI:10.1101/lm.54403