While studies have identified age-related cognitive impairment in pigeons (Columba livia), no study has detected the brain atrophy which typically accompanies cognitive impairment in older mammals. Instead, Coppola and Bingman (Aging is associated with larger brain mass and volume in homing pigeons (Columba livia), Neurosci. Letters 698 (2019) 39–43) reported increased whole brain mass and telencephalon volume in older, compared to younger, homing pigeons. One reason for this unexpected finding might be that the older pigeons studied were not old enough to display age-related brain atrophy. Therefore, the current study repeated Coppola and Bingman, but with a sample of older white Carneau pigeons that were on average 5.34 years older. Brains from young and old homing pigeons were weighed and orthogonal measurements of the telencephalon, cerebellum, and optic tectum were obtained. Despite having a heavier body mass than younger pigeons, older pigeons had a significant reduction in whole brain mass and telencephalon volume, but not cerebellum or optic tectum volume. This study is therefore the first to find that pigeons experience age-related brain atrophy.

中文翻译：

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非常老的白卡诺鸽（Columba livia）的全脑质量和端脑体积与年龄相关的减少

虽然研究已经发现鸽子（Columba livia）存在与年龄相关的认知障碍，但没有研究发现老年哺乳动物通常伴随认知障碍而出现脑萎缩。相反，Coppola 和 Bingman（衰老与信鸽 (Columba livia) 中较大的脑质量和体积有关，Neurosci. Letters 698 (2019) 39-43）报告称，与年轻的信鸽相比，年长的信鸽的全脑质量和端脑体积有所增加鸽子。这一意外发现的原因之一可能是所研究的年长鸽子年龄不足以表现出与年龄相关的脑萎缩。因此，当前的研究重复了科波拉和宾曼的研究，但样本是年长的白色卡尔诺鸽子，平均年龄为 5.34 岁。对年轻和年老信鸽的大脑进行了称重，并获得了端脑、小脑和视顶盖的正交测量结果。尽管年老鸽子的体重比年轻鸽子重，但其全脑质量和端脑体积显着减少，但小脑或视顶盖体积却没有减少。因此，这项研究首次发现鸽子会出现与年龄相关的脑萎缩。