Age differences in acquisition and retention of one-way avoidance learning in C57BL/6NNia and autoimmune mice

Michael J. Forster, Mark D. Popper, Konrad C. Retz, Harbans Lal

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

55 Scopus citations

Abstract

Acquisition and 48-h retention of a step-up active avoidance response were studied in separate age groups of C57BL/6NNia mice (aged 1.5, 3.5, 6, 12, or 26 months) and five strains of genetically autoimmune mice differing in life span. The C57BL/6NNia mice showed no change in ability to acquire the avoidance response between 1.5 and 3.5 months, but showed a steady decline in that ability thereafter. Mouse strains with early-onset autoimmune disorder (NZB/B1NJ, MRL/MpJ-lpr, and BXSB/MpJ) showed declines in acquisition capability between 1.5 and 3.5 months of age, whereas mouse strains with mild, late-onset autoimmune disorder (MRL/MpJ - + and NZBWF1/J) showed stable or improved acquisition during that period. Both the C57BL/6NNia and NZB/BINJ mice showed age-dependent declines in 48-h retention performance by 12 months of age. These findings suggested that while 48-h retention performance deficits were most related to chronological age, avoidance acquisition deficits were related to development of autoimmunity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)139-151
Number of pages13
JournalBehavioral and Neural Biology
Volume49
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1988

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