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The aging hippocampus: cognitive, biochemical and structural findings
Ira Driscoll1, Derek A Hamilton, Helen Petropoulos
1Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA. ira.driscoll@uleth.ca
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|November 15, 2003
Summary
Normal aging impairs learning and memory by affecting the hippocampus. This study shows structural and biochemical changes in the aging human hippocampus correlate with cognitive decline in hippocampus-dependent tasks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Aging Research
Background:
- Aging commonly leads to learning and memory deficits, often mirroring those seen with hippocampal damage.
- Animal studies show age-related memory decline linked to the hippocampus, suggesting its role in human aging impairments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate hippocampus-dependent cognitive function in humans using virtual reality tasks.
- To correlate cognitive performance with structural and biochemical changes in the aging human hippocampus.
Main Methods:
- Utilized virtual Morris water task (MWT) and transverse patterning discrimination task (TPDT) to assess human cognition.
- Employed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for hippocampal volume and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) for neurochemistry (NAA/Cre ratios).
Main Results:
- Observed age-related performance deficits in both hippocampus-dependent tasks.
- Found decreased hippocampal volume and NAA/Cre ratios in older adults, indicating neuronal loss or reduced density.
- Correlated cognitive impairments with structural and biochemical hippocampal changes.
Conclusions:
- Normal aging is associated with structural and biochemical alterations in the human hippocampus.
- These hippocampal changes are linked to age-related decline in hippocampus-dependent learning and memory.