STUDIES OF AGING AND COGNITION IN NONHUMAN PRIMATES

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中的一个 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源。子项目及 研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金， 因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。所列机构为 研究中心，而研究中心不一定是研究者所在的机构。 该项目的目的是描述恒河猴的衰老行为表型，并确定哪些神经变化与特定的行为衰退相关。 研究的初始阶段涉及收集基线健康数据，包括眼科检查和大脑磁共振图像，以确保猴子没有患病，因此可能发现的任何行为缺陷都可归因于正常的认知能力下降。 行为任务的应用涉及特定的认知领域，包括视觉识别记忆、空间工作记忆和执行功能。 我们成功地确定了认知的变化，这是典型的老化以及大脑的变化，伴随着行为下降。 这项研究的一个关键的总体发现是，一些老年猴子似乎没有严重的认知能力丧失，而另一些则明显受损。 我们目前对这些不同模式的调查方法是关注中年，那时变化刚刚开始发生。 这种对哪些猴子可能发展到认知恶化，哪些可能保持不受损害的特征将有助于我们描绘中年干预的最佳策略。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The objective of project was to characterize the aging behavioral phenotype in the rhesus monkey and determine which neural changes are correlated with specific behavioral declines. An initial phase of the study involved the collection of baseline health data, including ophthalmic examinations and magnetic resonance images of the brain, to ensure that the monkeys are not diseased so that any behavioral deficits that may be identified are attributable to normal cognitive decline. The application of well-characterized behavioral tasks taps specific cognitive domains, including visual recognition memory, spatial working memory, and executive function. We successfully identified changes in cognition that are typical of aging as well as changes in the brain that accompany behavioral decline. A key overall finding of this study was that some aged monkeys appear to be spared from serious cognitive losses, while others are markedly impaired. Our current approach to investigation of these different patterns is to focus on middle age, when changes are just beginning to occur. This characterization of which monkeys are likely to progress to worsened cognition and which are likely to remain unimpaired will assist us in delineating optimal strategies for mid-life interventions.