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Age differences in short-term memory of test-sophisticated rhesus monkeys

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Abstract

Aged rhesus monkeys trained for 3 months on a delayed-response task are impaired relative to young, adult monkeys similarly trained. The delayed-response performance of eight aged (18 + years) and five young (5–8 years) adult monkeys after extensive training (> 1 yr) on the task was examined. Recall of the spatial position of a visual stimulus was measured following retention intervals of various durations using a delay titration method. It was found that increased experience on the task improved performance in both age groups. However, aged monkeys remained reliably and significantly impaired under conditions requiring short-term memory. These findings further confirm the utility of nonhuman primate models of age-related cognitive deficits in humans.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CNS Pharmacology Section, Warner-Lambert, Pharmaceutical Research Division, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48105

    John G. Marriott & Joanne S. Abelson

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  1. John G. Marriott
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  2. Joanne S. Abelson
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Marriott, J.G., Abelson, J.S. Age differences in short-term memory of test-sophisticated rhesus monkeys. AGE 3, 7–9 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02434999

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02434999

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