title: A sex difference in the onset of the latent learning impairment in rats.
abstract: The current study examined a sex difference in the onset of a latent learning impairment in Sprague-Dawley rats. Forty rats (20 male, 20 female) were tested on the Latent Cue Preference (LCP) task at 3 or 11 months of age. Additionally, 19 female rats were tested at 14 or 18 months of age. All rats were given four training trials in the LCP task using a three-compartment box, during which the rats explored a water-paired compartment and an unpaired compartment (each with a different visual cue) on consecutive days. Rats were then water-deprived for 23 hr and given a compartment preference test, in which more time spent in the water-paired compartment demonstrated latent learning. Results showed that 11-month old males and 18-month old females showed impaired latent learning, but 11- and 14-month old females showed intact latent learning, which may possibly be due to the neuroprotective effects of estrogen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, 400 E 2nd Street, Bloomsburg, PA, 17815. estouffe@bloomu.edu.
authors.forename: Eric M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Stouffer
authors.forename: Jessica L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Barry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003463:Cues; D004326:Drinking / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012727:Sex Characteristics
keywords: aging; latent learning; middle age; sex difference