Health · Medical Research · 4 hrs ago
Treat-based games may detect dogs’ cognitive decline from around age eight
Researchers tested 239 dogs with three games that used treats to assess memory, impulse control and learning.
The dogs ranged from about 10 months to 16 years old, and the tests took place in Arizona and California.
Scores tended to fall from around age eight, while owner questionnaires usually show a sharp rise in signs of canine cognitive dysfunction around ages 10 to 12.
The games may help researchers spot changes before owners notice symptoms, such as a dog getting lost at home or becoming unusually anxious.
The team repeated tests with some dogs, and scores showed moderate consistency after six months and a year.
The results suggest a possible way to detect decline earlier, but the study does not establish that the games can diagnose dementia in individual dogs.
Treat-based games may detect changes in dogs’ cognitive abilities from around age eight, before owner questionnaires typically flag problems.
Researchers tested 239 dogs aged about 10 months to 16 years using three games that measured abilities including impulse control, memory and learning.
Age accounted for 27% of the differences in scores between dogs.
The team retested some dogs after six months and one year, and found that scores showed some consistency over time.
Owner questionnaires generally show a sharp rise in the likelihood of canine cognitive dysfunction around ages 10 to 12.
- Who
- A team led by University of Arizona psychology Ph.D. student Stephanie Hargrave, with senior author Evan MacLean, tested 239 dogs.
- What
- The team used treat-based games to assess dogs’ cognitive abilities and how scores changed with age.
- When
- Dogs tended to score lower from around age eight. The study’s testing dates are not stated.
- Where
- Testing took place at the Arizona Canine Cognition Center and a dog daycare in Tucson, and with Canine Companions in Santa Rosa, California.
- Why
- The researchers aimed to identify cognitive changes earlier than owner questionnaires usually flag problems.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Researchers tested 138 dogs again to check whether their scores were consistent.
Researchers tested 114 dogs again to check whether their scores were consistent.
- Dogs tested
- 239, ranging from about 10 months to 16 years old
- Cognitive score differences
- Age accounted for 27%
- Six-month score agreement
- 0.63
- One-year score agreement
- 0.59
- Testing locations
- Tucson, Arizona, and Santa Rosa, California
What people are saying
We can’t ask them questions; we can’t tell them, ‘OK, this is the test of your memory,'
I’m especially interested in what I can do to prolong her cognitive health and prevent decline