Abstract
In humans, aging and neurodegenerative diseases have been found to be associated with impairment in both mathematical abilities and estimation of continuous quantities such as size, weight or distance. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is rapidly becoming a model for human aging and brain disorders but we currently lack any instrument for rapid assessment of quantity estimation abilities in this species. Here we developed a simple method based on spontaneous preference of zebrafish for using the larger available hole to pass an obstacle. We collected a large amount of data from small groups of zebrafish moving between compartments of their tank and we used these normative data to compare the performance of individually tested fish. Zebrafish significantly discriminated size ratios from 0.60 to 0.91 with their performance decreasing while increasing the size ratio between the smaller and the larger hole presented. On average, individually tested fish showed the same performance, but a large inter-individual variability was observed. Test-retest analyses revealed a good reliability of this test, with 0.60 and 0.75 ratios being the most informative. Experience did not affect individual performance, suggesting the suitability of this test to measure the longitudinal changes and the effects of pharmacological treatments on cognitive abilities.
Highlights
In humans, aging and neurodegenerative diseases have been found to be associated with impairment in both mathematical abilities and estimation of continuous quantities such as size, weight or distance
Numerous neuropathologies such as some forms of dementia and some psychiatric disorders are associated with a decline in quantity estimation performance
In this study we developed an easy method based on spontaneous preference to measure the ability to discriminate continuous quantities in zebrafish
Summary
In humans, aging and neurodegenerative diseases have been found to be associated with impairment in both mathematical abilities and estimation of continuous quantities such as size, weight or distance. Experience did not affect individual performance, suggesting the suitability of this test to measure the longitudinal changes and the effects of pharmacological treatments on cognitive abilities Numerous neuropathologies such as some forms of dementia and some psychiatric disorders are associated with a decline in quantity estimation performance. Such decline can affect both numerosity estimation (e.g.1,2) and the estimation of continuous quantities such as object size, weight and distance or the duration of an event (e.g.3–5). To facilitate the use of zebrafish as a model to explore age-related neuropathologies (where learning difficulties and disruption of size discrimination are early features in humans) we aimed to develop a new test to evaluate and relatively quickly the ability of size estimation in fish. There has recently been a growing interest in gmail.com www.nature.com/scientificreports/
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