Researchers from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland found that memory training during youth can influence cognitive performance later in life. Old mice that engaged in memory exercises when they were young showed better results on tests of thinking and coordination as they aged. This conclusion is reported in a general science overview.
In the study, scientists split the rodents into two groups. The first group received short-term memory and spatial navigation training between three and five months of age, with a second round around one year old. The second group did not participate in any exercises.
When the mice reached 19–23 months, both groups were evaluated for cognitive function. In a test that required movement through an open field to obtain a reward, the previously trained mice consumed more food and demonstrated more efficient search patterns.
In the cohort that trained earlier, learning abilities, short-term memory, and motor and motivational functions remained more robust with age. The animals also showed a phenomenon known as behavioral tagging—where a short-term memory becomes long-term memory when paired with new experiences. This likely helped the mice recognize similarities between earlier tests and the final challenge.
The researchers suggest that these results could offer clues about how remembering and forgetting work, not only in mice but potentially in humans as well.
Additionally, studies from other European scientists indicate promising approaches in slowing cognitive decline associated with diseases such as Alzheimer’s, highlighting the relevance of early cognitive enrichment across species.