Age-related changes in detection of spatial novelty

Age-related changes in novelty detection for object–place associations was assessed in 6-mo and 25-mo-old Fisher 344/Brown Norway (F344/BN) rats. Old rats showed significant deficits compared to young rats in detecting spatial displacement of objects. The data suggest that object–place novelty detection is impaired in aged F344/BN rats using a rapidly acquired, exploratory-based task. The results may have important implications for the selection of efficient memory paradigms for future aging studies.

► We examined age-related changes in novelty detection for object–place associations.
► No age-related differences were found in habituation to the objects.
► Old rats showed significant deficits in detecting spatially displaced objects.
► Age-impaired object–place memory was found with a rapidly acquired, exploratory task.
► The results have implications for selecting efficient memory tasks for future studies.