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Dissecting the Non-human Primate Brain in Stereotaxic Space
Published on: July 17, 2009
Executive system dysfunction occurs as early as middle-age in the rhesus monkey
Tara L Moore1, Ronald J Killiany, James G Herndon
1Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, 715 Albany Street, W-701, Boston, MA 02118, USA. tlmoore@bu.edu
Neurobiology of Aging
|September 27, 2005
Summary
Middle-aged monkeys show significant impairments in executive function, similar to aged monkeys. This suggests that executive function changes are an early indicator of cognitive decline during aging.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Age-related cognitive decline is a growing area of research.
- Identifying early cognitive changes is crucial for understanding aging.
- Executive function plays a key role in cognitive processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if executive function is affected by middle age in non-human primates.
- To determine if executive function deficits are an early sign of cognitive aging.
Main Methods:
- Assessed middle-aged monkeys (12-19 years) on the conceptual set-shifting task (CSST).
- Compared performance to young adult (5-9 years) and aged (20-30 years) monkeys.
- The CSST is an animal analogue of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST).
Main Results:
- Middle-aged monkeys exhibited significant impairments on the CSST.
- Performance deficits in middle-aged monkeys mirrored those of aged monkeys.
- Both middle-aged and aged groups showed increased perseverative errors.
Conclusions:
- Executive function is sensitive to the aging process, even in middle age.
- Disruption of executive function appears to be an early change in normal aging.
- Findings support the hypothesis that executive function decline precedes other cognitive changes in aging.
