Cognitive performance in rhesus monkeys varies by sex and prenatal androgen exposure.

Full Abstract

Men and women differ on performance and strategy on several spatial tasks. Rodents display similar sex differences, and manipulations of early hormone exposure alter the direction of these differences. However, most cognitive testing of nonhuman primates has utilized sample sizes too small to investigate sexually differentiated behaviors. This study presents an investigation of sex differences and the effects of prenatal androgen on spatial memory and strategy use in rhesus monkeys. Monkeys prenatally exposed to vehicle, testosterone, or the androgen receptor blocker flutamide performed a search task in which 5 of 12 goal boxes contained food rewards. Spatial consistency and the presence of local landmarks were varied. Performance when both spatial and marker cues were available did not differ by sex or prenatal treatment. Contrary to predictions, females easily solved the task when local markers were removed, and their performance outscored males. Although eliminating spatial consistency and requiring subjects to use local markers impaired performance by all monkeys, females continued to locate correct goal boxes at higher than chance levels and scored better than males. Blocking prenatal androgen exposure in males improved use of local markers. These findings suggest that the tendency to attend to landmarks and to use them in solving spatial problems is typical of females across many species, including rodents, humans, and rhesus monkeys. In rhesus monkeys and rodents, developmental androgen eliminates this specialization. However, these results are the only known example of better performance of females than males when salient markers are removed.

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Author information

Author/s: Herman, Rebecca A (RA); Wallen, Kim (K);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 532 N. Kilgo Circle, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. rebecca.herman(-atsign-)gmail.com

Grants: F31 MH070143-01A1 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; K02 MH001062-10 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; R01 MH050268-10 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; RR-00165 (Agency:NCRR NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Journal: Hormones and behavior (Horm Behav), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Apr; vol 51 (issue 4) : pp 496-507

Dates: Created 2007/04/13; Completed 2007/06/19; Revised 2008/11/20;

PMID: 17335823, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

Comments and Corrections

CommentIn: Horm Behav. 2007 Aug;52(2):139-42. (PMID: 17662744)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Analysis of Variance
Androgen Antagonists - pharmacology
Androgens - physiology
Animals
Discrimination Learning - physiology
Female
Flutamide - pharmacology
Macaca mulatta

Male
Maze Learning - physiology
Pregnancy
Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
Problem Solving - physiology
Sex Factors
Space Perception - physiology
Spatial Behavior - physiology

Associated Chemicals: Androgen Antagonists (0) ; Androgens (0) ; Flutamide (13311-84-7)

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