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Aging effects on discrimination learning, logical reasoning and memory in pet dogs
Lisa J Wallis1,2, Zsófia Virányi3, Corsin A Müller3,4
1Clever Dog Lab, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria. lisa.wallis@vetmeduni.ac.at.
Age (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
|January 6, 2016
Summary
Cognitive aging in pet dogs shows slower learning and reduced behavioral flexibility with age. Discrimination learning tasks effectively detect cognitive decline in dogs, aiding diagnosis and treatment development.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Animal Cognition
- Canine Aging
Background:
- Aging in laboratory dogs causes cognitive decline.
- Cognitive aging in pet dogs, influenced by home environments, is less understood.
- Understanding cognitive aging in pet dogs is crucial for their welfare.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cognitive function changes in pet Border Collies across different age groups.
- To assess visual discrimination learning, logical reasoning, and memory in aging pet dogs.
- To evaluate the suitability of touchscreen tasks for detecting cognitive aging in dogs.
Main Methods:
- Ninety-five Border Collies (5 months to 13 years) were divided into five age groups.
- Dogs completed touchscreen tasks assessing visual discrimination, inferential reasoning, and memory.
- Learning speed and flexibility were measured by sessions to criterion and correction trials.
Main Results:
- Learning speed and flexibility in discrimination tasks decreased linearly with age.
- Older dogs (over 13 years) showed slower learning and reduced flexibility.
- Inferential reasoning showed a slight increase with age, but few dogs demonstrated true inference; no age effect on long-term memory was observed.
Conclusions:
- Touchscreen-based discrimination learning tasks are effective for detecting cognitive aging in pet dogs.
- These tasks can aid in diagnosing cognition-related issues and developing interventions to delay cognitive decline.
- Further research can utilize these methods to compare cognitive aging across different dog breeds and environments.
