title: On cognitive ecology and the environmental factors that promote Alzheimer disease: lessons from Octodon degus (Rodentia: Octodontidae).
abstract: Cognitive ecologist posits that the more efficiently an animal uses information from the biotic and abiotic environment, the more adaptive are its cognitive abilities. Nevertheless, this approach does not test for natural neurodegenerative processes under field or experimental conditions, which may recover animals information processing and decision making and may explain, mechanistically, maladaptive behaviors. Here, we call for integrative approaches to explain the relationship between ultimate and proximate mechanisms behind social behavior. We highlight the importance of using the endemic caviomorph rodent Octodon degus as a valuable natural model for mechanistic studies of social behavior and to explain how physical environments can shape social experiences that might influence impaired cognitive abilities and the onset and progression of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease. We consequently suggest neuroecological approaches to examine how key elements of the environment may affect neural and cognitive mechanisms associated with learning, memory processes and brain structures involved in social behavior. We propose the following three core objectives of a program comprising interdisciplinary research in O. degus, namely: (1) to determine whether diet types provided after weaning can lead to cognitive impairment associated with spatial memory, learning and predisposing to develop Alzheimer disease in younger ages; (2) to examine if early life social experience has long term effects on behavior and cognitive responses and risk for development Alzheimer disease in later life and (3) To determine if an increase of social interactions in adult degu reared in different degree of social stressful conditions alter their behavior and cognitive responses.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecología and Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 6513677, Santiago, Chile. drivera@bio.puc.cl.|Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Avenida Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 340, Santiago, Chile. drivera@bio.puc.cl.
authors.forename: Daniela S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.affiliation: Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración (CARE), Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 6513677, Santiago, Chile. ninestrosa@bio.puc.cl.|Centro UC Síndrome de Down, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. ninestrosa@bio.puc.cl.|Centro de Excelencia en Biomedicina de Magallanes (CEBIMA), Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile. ninestrosa@bio.puc.cl.
authors.forename: Nibaldo C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Inestrosa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecología and Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 6513677, Santiago, Chile. fbozinovic@bio.puc.cl.|Centro UC Síndrome de Down, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. fbozinovic@bio.puc.cl.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bozinovic
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D000818:Animals; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004777:Environment; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D046329:Octodon; D012307:Risk Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D013315:Stress, Psychological