The role of ageing in spatial memory: a comparison across vertebrates

One of the greatest challenges for the 21st century is to understand and improve mental wellbeing in an increasingly ageing population. Given that normal ageing results in cognitive impairment even in the absence of any neurodegenerative disease, understanding the effect of ageing on cognitive abilities is a priority for public health and health improvement. This project will investigate the role of ageing on spatial memory comparatively in vertebrate model species to directly address this challenge. We will compare across 3 vertebrate taxa, mammals, birds and fish. There will also be the potential to develop investigation of ageing on spatial memory in humans. By comparing across a number of taxa we will gain a greater understanding of how ageing affects cognitive abilities in species with different ecological challenges and life histories. We will investigate spatial memory in the three taxa using a combination of maze learning and open field arena paradigms to test spatial memory ability and strategies across age classes. We will compare across animals that can call upon sensory systems other than vision to see whether ageing affects all senses equally or whether cognitive abilities differ across different senses and with differing ecological relevance. Testing comparatively across taxa will provide a greater understanding of the way ageing affects cognitive abilities in a number of different systems and will have the potential to provide better animal models for the investigation of the neurobiology of ageing.