Age dependent changes in retention in rats I

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Abstract
These experiments examined the retention of newly acquired responses in 70 day, 1 yr and 2 yr old (Fischer 344) rats. In the 1st experiment, the rats were trained in a 1 trial inhibitory (passive) avoidance task and retention performance was tested after training-test intervals ranging from 2 h to 6 wk. When tested 2 h after training, 2 yr old rats performed significantly better than did 70 day old rats. At longer intervals, the decline in retention performance (i.e., rate of forgetting) varied directly with age. Two yr old rats exhibited more rapid loss of the avoidance response than did 70 day old rats. One yr old rats exhibited intermediate rates of forgetting. A 2nd experiment examined retention performance tested 1, 7 or 21 days after training in a discriminated avoidance task. In this task as well, the rate of decline in retention performance varied directly with age. Aged Fischer 344 rats apparently forget recently acquired information more rapidly than do younger rats.