Abstract

There are many examples in the Scientific literature about the changes and deterioration of memory through ages in humans. However, very little is written about the possible improvements of behavioural outputs with aging by better discerning use of alerting attentional resources. In this brief report we have shown in rodents how attentional skills and abilities to solve unknown and risky situations might be different between ages. Using domestic rodents and Morris maze tests, the performance of two age cohorts (4 months vs 1 months of age) were significantly different for the first trials in time swimming and swim length. Anxiety, rapidity of uncoordinated movements and thigmotaxis were predominant in the junior groups at the beginning, while the senior group presented also a nervous behaviour but more controlled. Although the younger group quickly learned how to escape and reach the adult level soon. Some research about human attentional skills and amygdala selection of external stimuli during lifespan are discussed.

Keywords:Morris maze; Memory; Stages; Cognitive mapping; Global positioning system; GPS; Arousal; Learning; Evocation; Hippocampus; Escape