scholarly journals Cognitive Aging in Dogs

Gerontology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Durga Chapagain ◽  
Friederike Range ◽  
Ludwig Huber ◽  
Zsófia Virányi
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Dysfunction ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Dietary Intervention ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Normal Aging ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Screening Methods ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Behavioral Enrichment

A decline in the physical or mental health of older dogs can be a challenge for the owners, whose relationship with their dog is compromised by the cognitive and behavioral changes in their dogs. Although dog owners tend to consider many physiological and behavioral changes in old dogs as part of the normal aging process, it is important to differentiate between normal aging and pathologic aging, since behavioral changes may be the first indication of declining health and welfare in old dogs. Most reviews on cognitive aging in dogs have focused on translational approaches to human Alzheimer's disease; from a practical perspective, however, understanding normal cognitive aging in pet dogs and screening cognitively affected dogs are important in their own right. Here we review the literature on different cognitive functions that decline during aging, signs of cognitive dysfunction, screening methods, and preventive measures for age-related cognitive decline. Moreover, we discuss the drawbacks of using questionnaires as subjective measures of aging and propose the development of objective methods to distinguish normal cognitive aging from severe cognitive dysfunction. We suggest that multi-targeted approaches that combine owner-evaluated questionnaires with neuropsychological tests can be most effective in screening cognitively affected dogs from normally aging dogs. Regarding preventive measures, we conclude that combinations of dietary intervention and behavioral enrichment may be more beneficial than single-pathway manipulations in delaying cognitive aging or retaining various cognitive functions during aging.

Age-Related Decline in the Topological Efficiency of the Brain Structural Connectome and Cognitive Aging

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. 4651-4661 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Li ◽  
Yezhou Wang ◽  
Wenxiao Wang ◽  
Weijie Huang ◽  
Kewei Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Normal Aging ◽  
Elderly Subjects ◽  
Elderly Individuals ◽  
Structural Connectome ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Topological Efficiency ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Brain disconnection model has been proposed as a possible neural mechanism for cognitive aging. However, the relationship between structural connectivity degeneration and cognitive decline with normal aging remains unclear. In the present study, using diffusion MRI and tractography techniques, we report graph theory-based analyses of the brain structural connectome in a cross-sectional, community-based cohort of 633 cognitively healthy elderly individuals. Comprehensive neuropsychological assessment of the elderly subjects was performed. The association between age, brain structural connectome, and cognition across elderly individuals was examined. We found that the topological efficiency, modularity, and hub integration of the brain structural connectome exhibited a significant decline with normal aging, especially in the frontal, parietal, and superior temporal regions. Importantly, network efficiency was positively correlated with attention and executive function in elderly subjects and had a significant mediation effect on the age-related decline in these cognitive functions. Moreover, nodal efficiency of the brain structural connectome showed good performance for the prediction of attention and executive function in elderly individuals. Together, our findings revealed topological alterations of the brain structural connectome with normal aging, which provides possible structural substrates underlying cognitive aging and sensitive imaging markers for the individual prediction of cognitive functions in elderly subjects.

Walnut diets up-regulate the decreased hippocampal neurogenesis and age-related cognitive dysfunction in d-galactose induced aged rats

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 4755-4762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei An ◽  
Yuchen Sun ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Xiaolong Huang ◽  
Rui Xue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Dysfunction ◽  
Dietary Intervention ◽  
Brain Plasticity ◽  
Hippocampal Neurogenesis ◽  
Aged Rats ◽  
Age Related

Recently, dietary intervention has been considered as a prospective strategy in delaying age-related cognitive dysfunction and brain plasticity degeneration.

scholarly journals Implicit Memory and Cognitive Aging

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma V. Ward ◽  
David R. Shanks
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Implicit Memory ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Explicit Memory ◽  
Human Memory ◽  
Memory Systems ◽  
Normal Aging ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Age Related

It is well documented that explicit (declarative, conscious) memory declines in normal aging. Studies have shown a progressive reduction in this form of memory with age, and healthy older adults (typically aged 65+ years) usually perform worse than younger adults (typically aged 18–30 years) on laboratory tests of explicit memory such as recall and recognition. In contrast, it is less clear whether implicit (procedural, unconscious) memory declines or remains stable in normal aging. Implicit memory is evident when previous experiences affect (e.g., facilitate) performance on tasks that do not require conscious recollection of those experiences. This can manifest in rehearsed motor skills, such as playing a musical instrument, but is typically indexed in the laboratory by the greater ease with which previously studied information is processed relative to non-studied information (e.g., repetition priming). While a vast amount of research has accumulated to suggest that implicit memory remains relatively stable over the adult lifespan, and is similar in samples of young and older adults, other studies have in contrast revealed that implicit memory is subject to age-related decline. Improving methods for determining whether implicit memory declines or remains stable with age is an important goal for future research, as the issue not only has significant implications for an aging society regarding interventions likely to ameliorate the effects of age-related explicit memory decline, but can also inform our theoretical understanding of human memory systems.

scholarly journals How Old Is My Dog? Identification of Rational Age Groupings in Pet Dogs Based Upon Normative Age-Linked Processes

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi D. Harvey
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Mature Adults ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
And Behavior

Behavioral development is a lifelong process where cognitive traits such as learning and memory may be expected to take quadratic or linear trajectories. It is common practice for operational purposes to reduce study subjects into chronological categories when conducting research. However, there are no agreed-upon thresholds for this practice, and the lack of standardization may hinder comparison between studies of normative and pathological aging. In this perspective review, chronological categories have been identified that can be considered to represent normative cognitive and neurological aging in domestic family dogs. These categories work to capture age-related developmental trajectories for the majority of dog breeds. It is encouraged that researchers studying cognition and behavior, pathological cognitive deficits, or welfare of dogs across age categories utilize the categories presented here to best enable comparison between studies. The proposed groups could also support education programs informing owners of what behavioral changes to expect in their dog as they age, but they cannot be used to reflect health-based needs associated with breed-specific morbidity. The use of the age categories proposed here highlights significant welfare issues for breeds with the shortest average lifespans (e.g., the Great Dane). Studies show no evidence of an increased rate of behavioral or cognitive aging in short-lived breeds, and the shortest-lived breeds are most likely to die when classified by the proposed categories as Mature Adults. Adoption of these chronological categories in future research would aid comparison between studies and identification of non-normative age-related pathologies.

scholarly journals Evaluation of cognitive dysfunction syndrome in dogs using an observational questionnaire

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (5Supl1) ◽  
pp. 2235
Author(s):  
Fernanda Dagmar Martins Krug ◽  
Mariana Teixeira Tillmann ◽  
Martha Bravo Cruz Piñeiro ◽  
Sabrina de Oliveira Capellas ◽  
Aurélio Luciano Costa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Cognitive Dysfunction ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Reproductive Status ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
Statistical Correlations ◽  
Age Related

The life expectancy of dogs has increased in recent years, mainly due to intensified care by owners, through health care, nutrition, and wellness. Currently, we have a large population of elderly dogs and consequently, the development of age-related conditions, such as cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS). Thus, we aimed to identify signs compatible with canine CDS (CDS) in dogs, through investigation of daily behavioral changes. We collected data from review, interaction with other animals, and the behavior of dogs. An observational questionnaire was used to evaluate behavioral changes. The responses generated a summation of points for the classification of dogs with and without signs compatible with CCDS. We also evaluated the interference of behavioral changes in the cohabitation of the owner with his dog. Of the 178 dogs studied, 40 (22.4%) had signs compatible with CCDS, especially those aged ? 10 years (31.4%). There were no statistical correlations with variables of sex, reproductive status, size, and race. Statistical differences were observed regarding the frequency of behavioral changes between dogs with and without CCDS in relation to disorientation, activity, sleep/wake cycle, house/soil, and socioenvironmental interaction. The owners considered that dogs with CCDS alter their daily routine and were favorable to initiating treatment, although with reduced compliance for life-long medication. We conclude that dogs older than 10 years have signs compatible with CCDS regardless of race, sex, reproductive status, and size. They present changes mainly in behavior related to activity, socioenvironmental interaction, sleep/wake cycle, and house soil and, less frequently, the manifestation of disorientation.

Resveratrol and organic selenium-rich fermented milk reduce D-galactose-induced cognitive dysfunction in mice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhen Wu ◽  
Tiantian Chen ◽  
Daodong Pan ◽  
Xiaoqun Zeng ◽  
Yuxing Guo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Dysfunction ◽  
Dietary Intervention ◽  
Brain Plasticity ◽  
Fermented Milk ◽  
Organic Selenium ◽  
Age Related

Recently, dietary intervention has been considered as a prospective strategy in treating age-related cognitive dysfunction and brain plasticity degeneration. This study developed one kind of functional fermented milk rich in...

Age-related cognitive decline and the borderland between normal aging and dementia

1997 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Jolles
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Normal Aging ◽  
Elderly Subjects ◽  
Large Individual ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Age Related

It is now generally agreed that healthy individuals are characterized by cognitive decline during the later decades of adult life. The acquisition of new information becomes less efficient, which, coupled with a diminished retention of this information for later use, results in substantially poorer memory performance. The ability to plan new activities, solve problems and make complex decisions, as well as cognitive flexibility is noticeably diminished. In addition, attentional processes appear to be invariably poorer in old subjects than in young subjects (for review). While it is quite clearly established that elderly subjects (i.e. after 65 years of age) show a deterioration of cognitive functioning, there is also evidence that this deterioration may start in middle age (40 years). There is large individual variance in age groups; for instance, some old individuals perform on many neurocognitive tests as well as young individuals do. Rowe and Kahn proposed in their influential article to discern between successful aging and usual aging. Successful aging would be due to the effect of chronological age, whereas additional factors would be responsible for usual aging. An important point is the nature of the borderland between usual cognitive aging and pathological conditions such as dementia. Various health-related factors are thought to be important in this respect. They may be a determinant for the transition between successful aging to normal aging and into the borderland with dementia. The Brain & Behavior Research Institute in Maastricht investigates the determinants of successful and pathological aging in a number of related and multidisciplinary projects. This paper describes some major findings of this research programme and gives a theory on the interaction of vulnerability factors and protective factors in their effect on cognitive aging.

NATURAL AGE-RELATED COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTS: OVERVIEW OF RECENT INVESTIGATIONS IN NON-HUMAN PRIMATES

2020 ◽  
pp. 23-33
Author(s):  
Д. Г. Семенов ◽  
А. В. Беляков
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Cognitive Impairments ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Human Aging ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Aging Mechanisms ◽  
The Brain

Старение человека сопровождается ослаблением когнитивных функций мозга. Актуальность изучения этого процесса, как и поиска путей его медицинской коррекции, возрастает в связи с увеличением средней продолжительности жизни в развитых странах. Нечеловекообразные приматы признаны наиболее подходящей биологической моделью для экспериментального изучения естественных механизмов когнитивного старения. В обзоре представлены последние данные, характеризующие поведенческие закономерности старения этих животных и соответствующие структурнофункциональные и молекулярно-клеточные корреляты. Описаны некоторые эффективные способы профилактики и терапии естественного старческого когнитивного ослабления. Human aging is followed by the weakening of cognitive functions of the brain. The relevance of the study of this process as well as the search for ways of its medical correction increases due to the rise of the middle life span in developed countries. Non-human primates are recognized as the most appropriate biological model for the experimental study of natural cognitive aging mechanisms. The review presents the latest data characterizing age-related behavioral patterns of these animals and the corresponding structural-functional and molecular-cellular correlates. Some effective ways preventing natural senile cognitive decline are highlighted.

Activity Engagement in Cognitive Aging: A Review of the Evidence

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne Rogalski ◽  
Muriel Quintana
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Activity Engagement ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Related Cognitive Decline

The population of older adults is rapidly increasing, as is the number and type of products and interventions proposed to prevent or reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline. Advocacy and prevention are part of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA’s) scope of practice documents, and speech-language pathologists must have basic awareness of the evidence contributing to healthy cognitive aging. In this article, we provide a brief overview outlining the evidence on activity engagement and its effects on cognition in older adults. We explore the current evidence around the activities of eating and drinking with a discussion on the potential benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, alcohol, and coffee. We investigate the evidence on the hypothesized neuroprotective effects of social activity, the evidence on computerized cognitive training, and the emerging behavioral and neuroimaging evidence on physical activity. We conclude that actively aging using a combination of several strategies may be our best line of defense against cognitive decline.

The Biological Clock and Sleep in the Elderly

2006 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myriam Juda ◽  
Mirjam Münch ◽  
Anna Wirz-Justice ◽  
Martha Merrow ◽  
Till Roenneberg
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythms ◽  
Biological Clock ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Early Morning ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Theoretical Considerations ◽  
Sleep Difficulties ◽  
Circadian Biology

Abstract: Among many other changes, older age is characterized by advanced sleep-wake cycles, changes in the amplitude of various circadian rhythms, as well as reduced entrainment to zeitgebers. These features reveal themselves through early morning awakenings, sleep difficulties at night, and a re-emergence of daytime napping. This review summarizes the observations concerning the biological clock and sleep in the elderly and discusses the documented and theoretical considerations behind these age-related behavioral changes, especially with respect to circadian biology.

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