Comparative Cognition

我们的人口正在迅速老龄化。 随着年龄的增长，我们的认知能力，特别是记住重要位置的能力，会下降。 我们知道，大脑的所有部分都不会以恒定的速度老化，这导致某些能力比其他能力更早地显示出与年龄相关的退化。 衰老的动物模型使我们能够在受控条件下检查衰老过程，使我们能够清楚地区分健康衰老和老年痴呆症等疾病衰老。 我的研究使用了一个鸟类模型，这为独立研究两个大脑半球提供了一个独特的机会，以更好地了解认知老化。 该模型允许研究与年龄相关的认知衰退，以及整个生命周期中潜在的大脑变化。我的研究项目将是第一个使用鸟类模型来帮助我们了解衰老如何改变大脑和导航能力的项目之一。

Our population is rapidly aging. As we age, our cognitive abilities, particularly the ability to remember important locations, decline. We know that all parts of the brain do not age at a constant rate, which results in some abilities showing earlier age-related degeneration compared to others. Animal models of aging permit us to examine the aging process under controlled conditions, allowing us to clearly differentiate between healthy aging and diseased aging such as Alzheimers disease. My research uses an avian model, which presents a unique opportunity to study the two brain hemispheres independently, to better understand cognitive aging. This model allows for the study of age-related cognitive decline, and the underlying brain changes, across the lifespan. My research program will be one of the first to use an avian model to help us understand how aging changes the brain and the ability to navigate.