Age-related effects on a hierarchical structure of canine cognition

GeroScience, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 46(6), С. 5843 - 5874

Опубликована: Март 21, 2024

The current study investigates whether there are statistically independent age-related influences on the canine cognitive structure and how individual factors moderate aging both cross-sectional longitudinal samples. A battery of seven tasks was administered to 129 pet dogs, which exploratory confirmatory factor analyses were employed unveil correlational underlying differences in performance. best-fitting model featured a hierarchical with two first-order domains (individual problem solving, learning) second-order common factor. These higher order exhibited consistency over period at least 2.5 years. External validation linked positively discrimination reversal learning performance, exploration, neophilia, activity/excitability, training level while negatively dysfunction symptoms, suggesting that it is good candidate for general (canine g). Structural equation models identified three distinct influences, operating associative learning, memory, g. Health status moderated negative age-canine g relationship, stronger association observed dogs poorer health status, no relationship health. On sample (N = 99), we showed direction magnitude change up 3 years affected by various interactions between dogs' age, communication score, baseline time elapsed since measurement. findings underscore presence reveal intriguing parallels human aging, affirming translational value cognition research.

Язык: Английский

The impacts of household factors and proxies of human social determinants of health on dog behavior

Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 239, С. 106520 - 106520

Опубликована: Март 30, 2025

Social determinants of health (SDOH) have an enormous impact on human and behavior, although their possible effects canine behavior received limited scientific attention. The goals this observational cohort study were to identify associations between household environments, zip code-level proxies for SDOH, explore longitudinal impacts behavior. We used existing dataset C-BARQ behavioral assessments from 3044 golden retrievers in the United States, including up eight years data per dog collected 2012 2023. analyzed using linear mixed effect models generalized estimating equations. found dogs single-dog homes had increased odds dog-directed fear (OR 1.44, 95 % CI 1.30-1.61) poorer trainability, particularly during early adulthood (F=14.32, p < 0.001). Sleeping owners' bed was associated with aggression towards strangers, a greater reduction trainability (F=20.71, 0.001) energy age (F=8.20, = 0.004). Dogs most densely populated neighborhoods showing strangers compared sparsely 0.78, 0.63-0.95) or moderately 0.73, 0.60-0.90). Together, our findings illustrate how conspecific relationships, interactions, home neighborhood environments affect show, first time, that characteristics ownership behaviors differential across lifespan. Future studies more diverse populations are needed provide further insights about SDOH welfare.

Язык: Английский

Sleep-spindles as a marker of attention and intelligence in dogs

NeuroImage, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 303, С. 120916 - 120916

Опубликована: Ноя. 5, 2024

The sleep spindle-generating thalamo-cortical circuitry supports attention capacity in awake humans and animals, but using spindles to predict differences has not been tried either. Of the more commonly examined cognitive correlates of spindle occurrence amplitude, post-sleep recall, general intelligence, only recall had studied dogs, rats mice. Here, we a sample companion dogs (N = 58) for whom polysomnographic recordings several tests were performed on two occasions each, with three-month break in-between. Five used extract factor analogous human g (general mental ability). A sixth test battery measured sustained attention. Both g-factor scores linked higher slow absolute sigma power detected over central electrode. These effects persisted across measurement occasions. Higher intrinsic frequency was, turn, lower displayed no relationship scores. overlap localization direction density (spindles/minute) that they tap into same underlying cognition-relevant aspects spindling. Given earlier large meta-analysis validations as reliable predictor performance humans, thus conclude currently handled method quantifying indeed measures activity by virtue its agreement alternative.

Язык: Английский