Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Age-dependent alterations in hippocampal synaptic plasticity: relation to memory disorders.

L deToledo-Morrell1, Y Geinisman, F Morrell

  • 1Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612.

Neurobiology of Aging
|September 1, 1988
PubMed
Summary

Aging impairs recent memory due to hippocampal damage. Aged rats with memory loss show specific synaptic loss in the hippocampus, unlike healthy older rats.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Age-related changes in parahippocampal white matter integrity: a diffusion tensor imaging study.

Neuropsychologia·2012
Same author

Alzheimer-signature MRI biomarker predicts AD dementia in cognitively normal adults.

Neurology·2011
Same author

MRI-based volumetric measurement of the substantia innominata in amnestic MCI and mild AD.

Neurobiology of aging·2009
Same author

Changes in parahippocampal white matter integrity in amnestic mild cognitive impairment: a diffusion tensor imaging study.

Behavioural neurology·2009
Same author

Rate of entorhinal and hippocampal atrophy in incipient and mild AD: relation to memory function.

Neurobiology of aging·2008
Same author

Baseline differences between vascular cognitive impairment no dementia reverters and non-reverters.

Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry·2008

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Aging Research
  • Memory Disorders

Background:

  • Age-related memory decline is a common concern.
  • The hippocampus is crucial for memory formation and retrieval.
  • Previous research suggests hippocampal dysfunction underlies memory deficits in aging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the link between hippocampal structure and function and age-related memory impairment.
  • To examine electrophysiological and morphological changes in the hippocampus of aged rats with memory deficits.
  • To identify specific synaptic alterations associated with memory dysfunction in aging.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the Fischer 344 rat as a model for age-related memory disorders.
  • Assessed memory performance using the 8-arm radial maze.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Measured long-term potentiation (LTP) decay and synaptic plasticity (kindling).
  • Performed quantitative morphometric analysis of hippocampal synaptic architecture.

    • Main Results:

    • Aged rats with memory impairment mimicked hippocampal lesion effects in the 8-arm radial maze.
    • These animals exhibited rapid LTP decay and slower synaptic kindling.
    • A specific loss of perforated axospinous synapses was observed in the dentate gyrus molecular layer.
    • The degree of synaptic loss correlated directly with memory impairment severity.
    • Electrophysiological and morphological abnormalities were absent in age-matched rats with intact memory.

    Conclusions:

    • Functional and structural impairments in the hippocampal formation are key contributors to age-related memory disturbances.
    • Specific synaptic loss in the hippocampus is a hallmark of memory dysfunction in aging.
    • These findings highlight the hippocampus as a critical target for understanding and potentially treating age-related memory decline.