An age-related deficit in spatial–feature reference memory in homing pigeons (Columba livia)

Coppola, Vincent; Flaim, Mary; Carney, Samantha N.; Bingman, Verner P.

doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2014.11.026

Cited by 22 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…One example is obtained from the studies of animals in which neurogenesis has naturally decreased as a result of aging. It is known that older mammals (Rosenzweig and Barnes, ; Moffat, ) and birds (Coppola et al, ) have difficulty acquiring new spatial memories, and that neurogenesis greatly decreases with age in these classes (mammals: e.g., Kuhn et al, ; Kempermann et al, ; birds: Ling et al, ; Meskenaite and Lipp, ). Furthermore, Drapeau et al () reported a rather strong correlation ( r = 0.60) between hippocampal neurogenesis and spatial memory decline assessed in a sample of old rats.…”

Section: Neurogenesis and Agingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The maturation of research into the avian hippocampal formation: Recent discoveries from one of the nature's foremost navigators

2015

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For more than 30 years, a growing number of researchers have been attracted to the challenge of understanding the neurobiological organization of the avian hippocampal formation (HF) and its relationship to the remarkable spatial cognitive abilities of birds. In this selective review, we highlight recent anatomical and developmental findings that reveal a HF design that defies any simple comparison to the mammalian hippocampus and leaves unanswered the seemingly enduring question of whether a dentate gyrus homologue is to be found in HF. From a functional perspective, we highlight the recent discoveries that implicate HF in the use of space for memory pattern segregation and continued interest in the role HF neurogenesis may play in supporting memory function and its relationship to memory decline in aging birds. We also summarize data that nurture a fundamental reinterpretation of the role of HF in spatial cognition by suggesting HF involvement in spatial perception antecedent to any memory formation. Given the disproportionate adaptive significance of space for birds, which has led to the evolution of their exceptional navigational and memory abilities, there is little doubt that the avian HF will continue to provide important and unexpected insights into the neural basis of spatial cognition.

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Section: Neurogenesis and Agingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The maturation of research into the avian hippocampal formation: Recent discoveries from one of the nature's foremost navigators

2015

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“…; Coppola et al. ). Homing pigeons generally rely more heavily on spatial information in recognizing a goal compared to feature information, a preference that may be related to their hippocampal‐dependent, spatial abilities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…In both the laboratory and field settings, the avian hippocampal formation has been found to be an important brain area engaged during landmark-based navigation, homing, and spatial memory tasks (Hampton & Shettleworth 1996;Colombo & Broadbent 2000;Smulders & DeVoogd 2000). In general, homing pigeons, like food-storing songbirds, have often been found to prefer spatial to feature cues for goal localization and recognition (Strasser & Bingman 1996;Bingman et al 2006;Nardi & Bingman 2007), although this is not always the case (Strasser & Bingman 1997;Kelly et al 1998;Coppola et al 2015). Homing pigeons generally rely more heavily on spatial information in recognizing a goal compared to feature information, a preference that may be related to their hippocampal-dependent, spatial abilities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Time‐of‐Day Discriminative Learning: Contrasting the Use of Spatial Compared to Feature Information in Homing Pigeons (Columba livia)

Sizemore

Bingman

2016

Ethology

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This study examined time‐of‐day associative learning to either spatial or feature information in homing pigeons in an open‐field, laboratory setting. Homing pigeons are well known for their navigational abilities and generally have been shown to rely more heavily on spatial than nonspatial cues in recognizing a goal. However, during goal localization, homing pigeons also successfully use nonspatial, feature information. Homing pigeons were divided into two groups and were trained to locate two time‐of‐day dependent, food reward sites using either discriminative spatial or feature information. Because of the importance of the hippocampus in controlling avian memory, we hypothesized that homing pigeons trained with spatial cues would be superior in learning the time‐of‐day discrimination compared to the pigeons trained with feature cues. Indeed, homing pigeons that were trained with spatial information outperformed the pigeons trained with feature information in learning the time‐of‐day discrimination task.

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“…Recently, we found that specialized meganeurites or megaloneurites which were different from the alteration of the aged rats occurred in the sacral spinal cords in aged dog (Li et al, 2018). Birds are considered as an aging model in biomedical research (Coppola et al, 2015), aging-related changes of brain and sensory mechanisms has been studied in homing pigeons (Meskenaite et al, 2016). However, to our knowledge, little attention has been paid to the N-d reactivity in medulla oblongata of the aged pigeon and in all the spinal segments of the pigeon with reference to the lumbosacral segment and the difference between the young and aged pigeons (Atoji et al, 2001a; Necker, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparative assessment of aging-related NADPH diaphorase positivity in the spinal cord and medullary oblongata between pigeon and murine

Jia

Hou

et al. 2019

Preprint

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NADPH diaphorase (N-d) positive neurons has been examined in many animals. N-d neurodegenerative neurites were detected in some animal models. However, detailed information of N-d positivity and aging related changes was still lack in the spinal cord and medulla oblongata of pigeons. In this study, we evaluated the N-d positivity and aging alterations in the spinal cord and medullary oblongata of the pigeon compared with rat and mouse. In pigeons, N-d neurons were more numerous in the dorsal horn, around the central canal and in the column of Terni in the thoracic and lumbar segments and scattered neurons occurred in the ventral horn of spinal segments. N-d neurons also occurred in the white matter of spinal cord. Morphometrical analysis demonstrated in the lumbosacral, cervical and thoracic regions. Compared with young pigeons, the size of N-d soma was significantly altered in aged pigeons. Meanwhile, the dramatic morphological changes occurred in the lumbar to sacral segments. The most important findings of this study were aging-related N-d positive bodies (ANB) in aged pigeons, mainly in the nucleus cuneatus externus (CuE), occasionally in the nuclei gracilis et cuneatus. ANBs were identified in the gracile nuclei in spinal cord in the aged rats and mice. ANBs were also detected in the CuE spinal nucleus in the aged rats. Immunohistochemistry also showed that the aging changes occurred in the cell types and neuropeptides in aged animals. The results suggested the weak inflammation and neuronal dysfunction in the spinal cord in aged pigeons. Our results suggested that the ANB could be considered as aging marker in the central nervous system.

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An age-related deficit in spatial–feature reference memory in homing pigeons (Columba livia)

Cited by 22 publications

References 12 publications

The maturation of research into the avian hippocampal formation: Recent discoveries from one of the nature's foremost navigators

The maturation of research into the avian hippocampal formation: Recent discoveries from one of the nature's foremost navigators

Time‐of‐Day Discriminative Learning: Contrasting the Use of Spatial Compared to Feature Information in Homing Pigeons (Columba livia)

A comparative assessment of aging-related NADPH diaphorase positivity in the spinal cord and medullary oblongata between pigeon and murine

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