Associations between physical activity and cognitive dysfunction in older companion dogs: results from the Dog Aging Project

Bray, Emily E.; Raichlen, David A.; Forsyth, Kiersten K.; Promislow, Daniel E. L.; Alexander, Gene E.; MacLean, Evan L.; Akey, Joshua M.; Benton, Brooke; Borenstein, Elhanan; Castelhano, Marta G.; Coleman, Amanda E.; Creevy, Kate E.; Crowder, Kyle; Dunbar, Matthew D.; Fajt, Virginia R.; Fitzpatrick, Annette L.; Jeffrey, Unity; Jonlin, Erica C.; Kaeberlein, Matt; Karlsson, Elinor K.; Kerr, Kathleen F.; Levine, Jonathan M.; Ma, Jing; McClelland, Robyn L.; Ruple, Audrey; Shrager, Sandi; Snyder‐Mackler, Noah; Tolbert, M. Katherine; Urfer, Silvan R.; Wilfond, Benjamin S.

doi:10.1007/s11357-022-00655-8

Cited by 16 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…These results together suggest that the age at which these breakpoints occurred marks the beginning of behavioral aging and the onset of age-related behavioral changes. The breakpoint in CCD-risk prevalence on the full sample also occurred around the same age as in all other traits (10.31 years), further confirming this age as the starting point of the behavioral decline and supporting the results of [ 65 ], which showed that severity of CCD symptoms begins to increase after the age of 10 years. However, contrary to the full sample, the breakpoint in CCD-risk prevalence within the different dog groups occurred approximately 1 year later than the breakpoint of the behavior factors, which could be due to the relatively rigorous way we defined having CCD-risk (i.e., showing at least 3 symptoms, each at least once in a month).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Differential behavioral aging trajectories according to body size, expected lifespan, and head shape in dogs

Turcsán,

Kubinyi

2023

GeroScience

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The twofold life expectancy difference between dog breeds predicts differential behavioral and cognitive aging patterns between short- and long-lived dogs. To investigate this prediction, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis using survey data from over 15,000 dogs. We examined the effect of expected lifespan and three related factors (body size, head shape, and purebred status) on the age trajectory of various behavioral characteristics and the prevalence of canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD). Our findings reveal that, although age-related decline in most behavioral characteristics began around 10.5 years of age, the proportion of dogs considered “old” by their owners began to increase uniformly around 6 years of age. From the investigated factors, only body size had a systematic, although not gradual, impact on the aging trajectories of all behavioral characteristics. Dogs weighing over 30 kg exhibited an earlier onset of decline by 2–3 years and a slower rate of decline compared to smaller dogs, probably as a byproduct of their faster age-related physical decline. Larger sized dogs also showed a lower prevalence of CCD risk in their oldest age group, whereas smaller-sized dogs, dolichocephalic breeds, and purebreds had a higher CCD risk prevalence. The identification of differential behavioral and cognitive aging trajectories across dog groups, and the observed associations between body size and the onset, rate, and degree of cognitive decline in dogs have significant translational implications for human aging research, providing valuable insights into the interplay between morphology, physiological ageing, and cognitive decline, and unravelling the trade-off between longevity and relative healthspan.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Differential behavioral aging trajectories according to body size, expected lifespan, and head shape in dogs

Turcsán,

Kubinyi

2023

GeroScience

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“…By looking at the activity curves, it is possible to observe that an activity signature was emerging with dogs with higher scores showing increased nighttime activity, however a larger number of dogs would need to be evaluated to investigate this further. Indeed, a recent article evaluated 11,574 dogs and showed a negative correlation between physical activity and severity of cognitive dysfunction symptoms by analyzing owner-reported questionnaires 50 . It is worthwhile noting that, in this article, activity levels were also measured by owner-reported questionnaires, i.e., no objective measure of activity was employed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Activity patterns are associated with fractional lifespan, memory, and gait speed in aged dogs

Mondino

Khan

Case

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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Maintaining an active lifestyle is considered a hallmark of successful aging. Physical activity significantly reduces the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease in humans. However, pain and lack of motivation are important barriers to exercise. Dogs are a remarkable model for translational studies in aging and cognition as they are prone to Canine Cognitive Dysfunction syndrome, which has many similarities with Alzheimer’s disease. According to owner reports, changes in activity levels are characteristic of this syndrome, with decreased daytime activity, but also excessive pacing, especially at sleep time. We used physical activity monitors to record the activity of 27 senior dogs and evaluated the association between activity level and age, fractional lifespan, cognitive status measured by an owner questionnaire and cognitive tests. We also assessed the relationship between activity and joint/spinal pain, and the off/on leash gait speed ratio (a potential marker of gait speed reserve and motivation). We found that activity patterns in dogs are associated with fractional lifespan and working memory. Additionally, dogs with higher on/off leash gait speed are more active in the afternoon of weekdays. These results encourage future studies evaluating how physical activity can improve or delay cognitive impairment in senior dogs.

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“…Another recent finding from the DAP – that is not so surprising – is that physical activity is associated with cognitive function in older dogs (Bray et al , 2023). This echoes studies in other animals and humans, in this case combined with the findings on diet that owners have a major role to play in their pets' health and lifespan, if only by ensuring plenty of exercise and avoiding overeating.…”

Section: Focus On Neurodegenerative Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 96%

Learning tricks from old dogs

Hunter

2023

EMBO Reports

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Associations between physical activity and cognitive dysfunction in older companion dogs: results from the Dog Aging Project

Cited by 16 publications

References 75 publications

Differential behavioral aging trajectories according to body size, expected lifespan, and head shape in dogs

Differential behavioral aging trajectories according to body size, expected lifespan, and head shape in dogs

Activity patterns are associated with fractional lifespan, memory, and gait speed in aged dogs

Learning tricks from old dogs

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