title: Proactive interference effects on short-term memory in rats: II. Effects in young and aged rats.
abstract: Whether the short-term memory impairments of aged rats in an operant delayed-matching task is attributable to increased susceptibility to proactive interference (PI) was tested. Groups of young and aged rats were trained on the task, and the previously reported delay-dependent deficit of aged rats was replicated. The aged rats showed a significantly greater decline in performance on previous-response-opposite trials compared with previous-response-same trials than did young rats, when tested over the same range of delay intervals, suggesting a higher sensitivity to PI. However, this effect was established against a higher overall baseline performance of the young animals on both types of trial. When the young and aged animals were equated for performance on previous-response-same trials (by increasing the range of delay intervals used for testing the young animals), the interaction effect was abolished. Thus, the delay-dependent deficits of aged rats are independent of their sensitivity to PI.
authors: University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors: S B
authors: SB
authors: Dunnett
authors: F L
authors: FL
authors: Martel
authors: S D
authors: SD
authors: Iversen
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000818:Animals; D001070:Appetitive Behavior; D001245:Association Learning; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D009949:Orientation; D011334:Proactive Inhibition; D011340:Problem Solving; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D013998:Time Perception