Cognitive function in aged ovariectomized female rhesus monkeys.
To determine whether ovariectomy exacerbates age-related cognitive decline, the performance of 6 aged monkeys that had been ovariectomized early in life (OVX-Aged) was compared to that of 8 age-matched controls with intact ovaries (INT-Aged) and that of 5 young controls with intact ovaries (INT-Young) in tasks of visual recognition memory, object and spatial memory, and executive function. The OVX-Aged monkeys were marginally more impaired than the INT-Aged monkeys on the delayed nonmatching-to-sample with a 600-s delay. In contrast, they performed significantly better than the INT-Aged controls on the spatial condition of the delayed recognition span test. The hypothesis that prolonged estrogenic deprivation may exaggerate the age-related decline in visual recognition memory will require additional support. However, the findings suggest that long-term ovariectomy may protect against the development with aging of spatial memory deficits.
Lacreuse
A
A
Division of Neuroscience, Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA. alacreu@rmy.emory.edu
Herndon
J G
JG
Moss
M B
MB
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology; D004967:Estrogens / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology; D010052:Ovariectomy; D010053:Ovary / Q000502:physiology*; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000502:physiology
D004967:Estrogens