In a citizen science project, thousands of pet dogs are helping scientists to understand what happens to memory and cognition in old age.
Hana aced her memory test. After viewing the contents of three identical boxes arrayed in an arc on the back deck of her home, the 3-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel had to remember which box held a treat — a task she quickly learned after just a few trials.
Through veterinary records, DNA samples, health questionnaires and cognitive tests like Hana’s treat-finding challenge, the initiative of the University of Washington and Texas A&M University will track many aspects of dogs’ lives over time. Smaller subsets of the dogs, including Hana, will participate in more focused studies and more extensive evaluations. From all of this, scientists hope to spot patterns and find links between lifestyles and health from puppyhood through the golden years.
Because human aging takes place over many decades, studying the biology of that process is challenging. It means tracking people for 50, 60, 70 years or more, which can be laborious and expensive. In contrast, dogs age quickly. “This sucks for people who love their dogs,” says Kaeberlein, a lifelong dog lover. But it makes dogs an excellent model system for studying aging.
Brain health is a key part of that. “There’s a lot we just don't know about how dog cognition changes with age,” says comparative psychologist Evan MacLean, director of the Arizona Canine Cognition Center at the University of Arizona in Tucson and a collaborator on the Dog Aging Project. What is normal cognitive aging? Do early memory impairments signal later dementia? A longer-term aim, MacLean says, is to identify early interventions that could slow deterioration.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Biden Administration launches portal to help communities assess exposure to climate hazardsToday, the Biden-Harris Administration in partnership with Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of the Interior (DOI) jointly launched a new website to help communities across the nation understand the real-time climate-related hazards in their area, analyze proje
Read more »
Daily Chocolate May Rescue the Brain From Cognitive DeclineGood news for chocolate lovers — a daily dose of cocoa provides many benefits, including protecting the brain as we age
Read more »
Rise of the Aztec Empire explained in All About History 121Inside All About History 121: How a series of tribes in Central America built a superpower of the age in the Aztec Empire
Read more »
Evolutionary Insight: Inside the Brains of Reptiles and AmphibiansA series of four studies helps scientists understand the development of different types of brain cells.
Read more »
How mythology could help demystify dog domesticationHumans have always told stories about our dogs — and these tales can offer clues to the mystery of dog domestication, according to mythologist Julien_d_Huy
Read more »
Mooresville student suffering broken bones, brain contusions after being hit by suspected drunk driverMooresville student suffering broken bones, brain contusions after being hit by suspected drunk driver
Read more »