Age-related cognitive deficits in rhesus monkeys mirror human deficits on an automated test battery
Open accessAbstract
Aged non-human primates are a valuable model for gaining insight into mechanisms underlying neural decline with aging and during the course of neurodegenerative disorders. Behavioral studies are a valuable component of aged primate models, but are difficult to perform, time consuming, and often of uncertain relevance to human cognitive measures. We now report findings from an automated cognitive test battery in aged primates using equipment that is identical, and tasks that are similar, to those employed in human aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD) studies. Young (7.1+/-0.8 years) and aged (23.0+/-0.5 years) rhesus monkeys underwent testing on a modified version of the Cambridge Automated Neuropsychological Test Battery (CANTAB), examining cognitive performance on separate tasks that sample features of visuospatial learning, spatial working memory, discrimination learning, and skilled motor performance. We find selective cognitive impairments among aged subjects in visuospatial learning and spatial working memory, but not in delayed recall of previously learned discriminations. Aged monkeys also exhibit slower speed in skilled motor function. Thus, aged monkeys behaviorally characterized on a battery of automated tests reveal patterns of age-related cognitive impairment that mirror in quality and severity those of aged humans, and differ fundamentally from more severe patterns of deficits observed in AD.
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Research on memory in rodents and monkeys suggests that both spatial (what-where) and temporal (what-when) elements of memory decline alongside typical age-related changes within the brain.
“research on memory in rodents and monkeys, although again not strictly in line with episodic-like memory criteria, suggests that both spatial (what–where) [139–142] and temporal (what–when) [142,143] elements of memory decline alongside typical age-related changes within the brain.”
From Is episodic-like memory <i>like</i> episodic memory? (2024) · cites this paper as [139]
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- Authors
- Nagahara, A. H., Bernot, T., & Tuszynski, M. H.
- Affiliations
- University of California San Diego (US)
- University of California, Davis (US)
- Corresponding author
- Tuszynski, Mark H.
- ORCID
- Tuszynski, Mark H.
- Venue
- Neurobiology of Aging
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2010-06
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1020-1031
- ISSN
- 0197-4580 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2876823
- OpenAlex
- W1978217720
- Cited by
- 110
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 2.81
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Neurobiology of Aging (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Aging (P01AG010435, AG10435)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Keywords
- age-related cognitive decline, rhesus monkeys, visuospatial learning, spatial working memory, discrimination learning, motor speed, Alzheimer's disease, neurodegeneration
- MeSH terms
- Aging, Animals, Cognition Disorders, Discrimination, Psychological, Disease Models, Animal, Female, Macaca mulatta, Male, Memory, Short-Term, Motor Skills, Neuropsychological Tests, Photic Stimulation, Reaction Time, Space Perception
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