Memory enhancement in aged rats: the differential outcomes effect
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Updated: Sep 17, 2026
Preparation of Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rats and Transgenic Mice for the Study of Synaptic Alterations during Aging and Amyloid Pathology
Published on: March 23, 2011
L M Savage1, S R Pitkin, J M Careri
1Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA.
Abstract:
Aged (23 months) and young (3 months) rats were trained on an operant Matching-To-Position (MTP) task that had either (a) specific outcomes (reinforcers) correlated (differential groups), or (b) outcomes uncorrelated (nondifferential groups) for each correct sample-choice sequence. The traditional version of MTP uses a common outcome and is thought to assess spatial working memory. Aged rats are impaired on the traditional version of MTP. However, aged animals trained with the Differential Outcomes Procedure (DOP) did not display the typical age-related decline in spatial working memory. Differences in choice accuracy between old and young rats reached significance only if the subjects were trained with a nondifferential outcomes procedure (NOP)-similar to when a common outcome is used. These data demonstrate that employing behavioral procedures to tap intact cognitive functions is an effective means of enhancing spatial working memory in normal as well as aged subjects.
