Mindspan: lessons from rat models of neurocognitive aging

Research on the biology of aging seeks to enhance understanding of basic mechanisms and thus support improvements in outcomes throughout the lifespan, including longevity itself, susceptibility to disease, and life-long adaptive capacities. The focus of this review is the use of rats as an animal model of cognitive change during aging, and specifically lessons learned from aging rats in behavioral studies of cognitive processes mediated by specialized neural circuitry. An advantage of this approach is the ability to compare brain aging across species where functional homology exists for specific neural systems; in this article we focus on behavioral assessments that target the functions of the medial temporal lobe and prefrontal cortex. We also take a critical look at studies using calorie restriction (CR) as a well-defined experimental approach to manipulating biological aging. We conclude that the effects of CR on cognitive aging in rats are less well established than commonly assumed, with much less supportive evidence relative to its benefits on longevity and susceptibility to disease, and that more research in this area is necessary.