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Stable olfactory sensory neuron in vivo physiology during normal aging
Marley D Kass1, Lindsey A Czarnecki1, John P McGann1
1Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Psychology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
Neurobiology of Aging
|June 1, 2018
Summary
Olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) input to the brain remains stable during aging, contrary to the hypothesis that degraded input causes smell loss. This suggests the olfactory bulb may compensate for age-related changes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Sensory Biology
Background:
- Normal aging often leads to smell impairments.
- This decline is frequently attributed to age-dependent changes in the peripheral olfactory system, such as reduced olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs).
- A leading hypothesis suggests degraded sensory input to the brain underlies olfactory dysfunction in older adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the stability of sensory input to the olfactory bulb during normal aging.
- To test the hypothesis that age-dependent degradation of OSN input contributes to olfactory decline.
Main Methods:
- In vivo optical neurophysiology was employed in mice across four age groups (6, 12, 18, and 24 months).
- Odor-evoked neurotransmitter release from OSNs into olfactory bulb glomeruli was visualized.
- Quantification of glomerular response magnitude, number, OSN sensitivity, and neural discriminability was performed.
Main Results:
- Odor-evoked glomerular responses in the olfactory bulb were found to be stable across all tested ages.
- The magnitude and number of these responses did not significantly change with age.
- No age-related effect was observed on the sensitivity of OSN responses to odors or the neural discriminability of sensory maps.
Conclusions:
- The olfactory bulbs receive stable sensory input from OSNs throughout normal aging.
- Age-related olfactory decline may not stem from deteriorated neural input.
- Local circuitry within the olfactory bulb might adapt to maintain stable nerve input despite peripheral changes.
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