locomotive activity (mean
velocity) in the Barnes maze does not (Frick et al. and
Fig. 6), which makes it unlikely that physical fitness plays
a role in the decline of the GS exploratory frequency in the
aged rats. Goal Sector preference, a parameter not
affected by age changes in target-seeking motivation,
revealed that recent spatial memory is not significantly
affected by age under the mild stress conditions of the
Barnes maze. In contrast, longer-term spatial memory,
assessed by measuring GS preference, significantly deteriorates
with age, particularly when the test requires high
accuracy (i.e., single hole GS). It should be pointed out
that there are other noncognitive factors likely to affect
GS preference in aged rats. One of them is the decline
in visual acuity that occurs in aged rats. Therefore, GS
preference in not reflecting purely cognitive abilities.