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Working Memory

Working Memory

Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this...

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Adaptive spatial working memory assessments for aging pet dogs.

Joshua Van Bourg¹, Rachel Gilchrist², Clive D L Wynne²

¹Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA. joshvanbourg@asu.edu.

Animal Cognition

|November 13, 2020

Summary

Spatial working memory (SWM) in dogs shows age-related declines, with both young and old dogs performing worse than middle-aged dogs. This finding aids canine dementia research and human Alzheimer's disease studies.

Keywords:

Aging Cognitive decline Development Dog Spatial working memory Staircase methods

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Area of Science:

Cognitive neuroscience
Animal behavior
Comparative psychology

Background:

Age-related cognitive decline is a significant concern in both humans and companion animals.
Spatial working memory (SWM) assessments are crucial for understanding cognitive aging.
Developing single-session SWM tests can aid in diagnosing canine cognitive dysfunction and inform human Alzheimer's disease research.

Purpose of the Study:

To design and validate adaptive staircase assessments for spatial working memory (SWM) in pet dogs.
To investigate the effects of age and delay length on SWM performance in dogs.
To explore the potential of canine SWM as a model for human cognitive aging.

Main Methods:

Two up-down staircase SWM assessments were developed and administered to 26 pet dogs.
Dogs were required to recall the location of a hidden treat after variable delays.
Performance was analyzed in relation to age, delay length, and learning.

Main Results:

The second experiment demonstrated reliable learning and retention of the SWM task in all participating dogs (n=24).
Both delay length and age significantly predicted SWM performance.
Performance followed an inverted U-shaped function with age, indicating deficits in both younger and older dogs compared to middle-aged dogs.

Conclusions:

The developed SWM assessments are valid and sensitive to age-related cognitive changes in dogs.
Canine SWM appears to develop until midlife and decline thereafter, mirroring patterns seen in human cognitive aging.
This research supports the use of pet dogs as a translational model for studying cognitive aging and dementia.