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Stress-induced corticosterone secretion covaries with working memory in aging
Joseph A McQuail1, Eric G Krause2, Barry Setlow3
1Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Neurobiology of Aging
|August 26, 2018
Summary
Aging impacts memory. While basal corticosterone (CORT) levels are unrelated to working memory, a stronger CORT stress response in aged rats is linked to better prefrontal cortex-dependent memory.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Aging Research
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Age-related cognitive decline often involves memory impairment.
- The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and its hormone corticosterone (CORT) are implicated in age-related memory changes, particularly hippocampal functions.
- The link between adrenocortical status and prefrontal cortex-dependent memory in aging is less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between adrenocortical status and prefrontal cortex-dependent working memory in aging.
- To compare working memory performance and corticosterone (CORT) levels in young adult and aged rats.
- To examine how basal and stress-induced CORT levels relate to working memory in aged individuals.
Main Methods:
- Characterized working memory performance in young adult and aged F344 rats using a prefrontal cortex-dependent task.
- Measured corticosterone (CORT) levels across the diurnal cycle.
- Assessed CORT levels during acute stressor exposure.
Main Results:
- Aged rats with superior working memory exhibited a heightened corticosterone (CORT) response to acute stress compared to young adults and age-matched rats with poorer working memory.
- Elevated basal CORT levels in aged rats were not associated with their working memory performance.
- The HPA axis-mediated response to acute stress positively correlates with working memory function in aging.
Conclusions:
- The HPA axis's response to acute stress, not basal levels, is a key factor associated with preserved working memory in aging.
- These findings highlight the differential impact of aging on memory systems and their neuroendocrine regulation.
- Understanding these relationships can inform strategies to mitigate age-related cognitive decline.
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