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A study of remote spatial memory in aged rats.

Gordon Winocur¹, Morris Moscovitch, R Shayna Rosenbaum

¹Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario M6A 2E1, Canada. gwinocur@rotman-baycrest.on.ca

Neurobiology of Aging

|May 6, 2008

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Aging impairs spatial memory, but prior complex environment experience can preserve remote memory in older rats. This suggests schematic memory may compensate for age-related cognitive decline.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Gerontology
Cognitive Psychology

Background:

Aging is associated with cognitive decline, particularly in memory functions.
Spatial memory is crucial for navigation and is known to be affected by aging.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effect of aging on remote spatial memory.
To determine if early-life complex environment exposure influences spatial memory retention in aged rats.

Main Methods:

A comparative study using aged rats (2-year-old) with and without prior complex environment rearing.
Spatial memory assessed using a reward-finding task within a familiar environment.
Probe tests used to evaluate memory strategies (allocentric vs. non-spatial cues).

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Main Results:

Aged rats with prior complex environment experience (VR-O) showed significant savings in recalling reward locations compared to aged rats naive to the environment (VNR-O).
Naive aged rats (VNR-O) were impaired in learning reward locations compared to young rats.
VR-O rats demonstrated allocentric spatial memory retention, not relying on non-spatial cues.

Conclusions:

Aging leads to a decline in learning and remembering detailed spatial relationships.
Prior complex environment exposure can support the retention of remote spatial memory in aged rats through schematic memory.
The hippocampus's role in age-related memory changes is a key consideration.