Environmental Enrichment & Brain Health

Aging dogs have brains that are similar to aging people.  They have a comparable metabolism, suffer from the development of beta-amyloid plaques implicated in Alzheimer's disease, and are large enough to study with neuroimaging.

Researchers monitored the brain health of 43 middle-aged beagles for 3 years (36 females and all 6 years at the start of the study).  They were examining the potential of 2 drugs targeting Alzheimer’s disease.  All the dogs, in both the treatment group and the control group, received daily exercise, playtime with dogs of the same gender, and playtime with a rotating group of toys. 

Typical aging in dogs and humans causes shrinking in the hippocampus, the brain structure involved in memory and emotion and that is exceptionally sensitive to age-related decline.  All the dogs in the study, both treatment and control, experienced a 1.74% increase in hippocampus volume every year of the study.  The drugs had no impact on the dog’s brains. 

Researchers believe that the daily social interaction from dogs playing together, physical exercise, and environmental enrichment from playing with toys, led to the increase in hippocampus volume.  These activities increase blood flow, enhance the birth of new brain cells, and are likely to be protective against age-related declines.

Takeaway:  People’s brain health is likely to benefit from routine social interaction, exercise, and enriching activities.  Dog lovers should provide regular exercise, toys, and interaction with other dogs to promote successful aging for their pets.

Well-being is a journey, not a quick fix.

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Sources

Jessica A. Noche, et al., Age-related brain atrophy and the positive effects of behavioral enrichment in middle-aged beagles | Journal of Neuroscience (jneurosci.org), Apr 1, 2024.

Dennis Thompson, Playtime, being social helps a dog's aging brain, study finds (medicalxpress.com), Apr 2, 2024.

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