Cognitive performance of low- and normal-birth-weight piglets in a spatial hole-board discrimination task.

Introduction: Learning impairments are often seen in children born with low birth weight (LBW). A model with translational value for long-term effects of LBW in humans is needed to further our understanding of how LBW and cognition are related. The similarities between development stages in human infants and piglets, and the high prevalence of LBW piglets make them a naturally occurring potential model in which to study cognitive impairment associated with LBW in humans.

Results: Although both groups learned the configurations and rapidly reduced the number of incorrect visits, the LBW piglets showed a transiently retarded acquisition of the first reversal.

Discussion: The results of the experiment support the hypothesis that LBW is related to (mild) subsequent cognitive impairments. In the future, piglets may be suitable models for testing the effects of putative therapeutics.

Methods: To examine this potential model, we tested pairs of LBW and NBW (normal-birth-weight) piglets in a spatial hole-board (a matrix with 4 × 4 holes in the floor) task during one acquisition and two reversal phases in their own individual configurations of rewarded holes.