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Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Preparation of Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rats and Transgenic Mice for the Study of Synaptic Alterations during Aging and Amyloid Pathology
Published on: March 23, 2011
Synaptic pathology in the brain cortex of old monkeys as an early alteration in senile plaque formation
Carlo Bertoni-Freddari1, Patrizia Fattoretti, Belinda Giorgetti
1INRCA Research Department, Neurobiology of Aging Laboratory, Ancona, Italy. c.bertoni@inrca.it
Abstract:
Synaptic numeric density (Nv), average size (area: S), surface density (Sv) and number of synapses/neurone (Syn/Neur) were morphometrically measured in frontal (FC) and temporal (TC) cortex of adult and old monkeys. Sv was constant, a clear age-related trend to decrease by Nv and increase by S were observed in both areas investigated. Syn/Neur significantly decreased in TC of aged animals (-21.1%), whereas FC showed a not significant reduction (-2.6%). The present data support the hypothesis of an increased sensitivity to deterioration of TC synapses in aged monkeys, which might constitute a predisposing condition to the development of senile plaques.
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