Ageing and the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Aging Research
• Dopamine System

Background:

• Brain dopamine is vital for motor control and implicated in neurological/psychiatric disorders.
• Functional imaging offers advanced quantification of dopamine receptor characteristics.
• This review focuses on age-related changes in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize age-related alterations in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system.
• To review functional imaging and postmortem findings in normal aging.
• To consider the functional significance of these age-related dopaminergic changes.

Main Methods:

• Literature search of postmortem and neuroimaging studies.
• Focus on the nigrostriatal dopaminergic tract in normal aging.
• Inclusion of studies examining the functional significance of age-related effects.

Main Results:

• Significant reductions in pre- and post-synaptic dopamine markers occur with normal aging.
• The rate of decline, gender effects, and underlying mechanisms remain unclear.
• Postsynaptic receptor density shows a significant association with motor and cognitive functions.

Conclusions:

• Improving dopaminergic transmission may mitigate age-related motor and cognitive deficits.
• Further elucidation of causative mechanisms and synaptic structure-function interactions is needed.
• Effective preventative strategies require a deeper understanding of age-related dopaminergic changes.