Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 9, 2026

A Comparative Approach for Quantitative Cell Counting Studies in Widely Different Mammalian Brains
Published on: January 16, 2026
Age-related alterations in human neocortical plasticity
M J Spriggs1, C J Cadwallader2, J P Hamm3
1School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, New Zealand; Centre for Brain Research, The University of Auckland, New Zealand; Brain Research New Zealand.
Older adults show reduced brain plasticity for Long-Term Potentiation (LTP) but preserved Long-Term Depression (LTD) in visual processing, suggesting age-related changes in neuroplasticity contribute to cognitive decline.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Aging
- Neuroplasticity
Background:
- Age-related cognitive decline is linked to neuroplasticity changes.
- Long-Term Potentiation (LTP) and Long-Term Depression (LTD) are key plasticity mechanisms.
- Non-invasive human studies on age-related LTP/LTD are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- Assess age differences in human neocortical plasticity using EEG.
- Investigate age-related plasticity using a visual stimulus paradigm.
- Examine plasticity in N1b and P2a components of the visually evoked potential (VEP).
Main Methods:
- Utilized an electroencephalography (EEG) paradigm with a "visual tetanus" stimulus.
- Compared plasticity responses between young (19-35 years) and older (68-91 years) adults.
- Measured changes in N1b and P2a components of the VEP.
Main Results:
- Young adults showed LTP-like N1b enhancement post-tetanus; older adults did not.
- Both age groups exhibited an LTD-like P2a shift after low-frequency stimulation.
- Results suggest an age-related shift in LTP threshold but preserved LTD threshold.
Conclusions:
- Human neocortical plasticity differs with age, particularly for LTP.
- Findings support rodent models of age-related plasticity changes.
- First study to demonstrate LTD-like VEP modulation in humans.
More Related Videos
14:57Preparation 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
14:27Investigating Long-term Synaptic Plasticity in Interlamellar Hippocampus CA1 by Electrophysiological Field Recording
Published on: August 11, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Neuroplasticity
Cognitive Development During Adulthood
Aging
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Long-term Depression
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over...
Long-term Depression
Plasticity