Nicotine reduces age-related changes in cortical neural oscillations without affecting auditory brainstem responses

Neural oscillations at specific frequency bands are associated with cognitive functions and can identify abnormalities in cortical dynamics. In this study, we analyzed EEG signals recorded from auditory and frontal cortex of awake mice across young, middle and old ages, and found multiple robust and novel age-related changes in cortical oscillations. Notably, resting, evoked, and induced gamma power diminished with age, with some changes observed even in the middle age groups. Inter-trial phase coherence of responses to time-varying stimuli is reduced in old mice. Movement-related modulation of gamma power is reduced in old mice. An acute injection of nicotine (0.5 mg/kg), but not saline, in old mice partially or fully reversed the age-related changes in EEG responses. Nicotine had no effect on auditory brainstem responses , suggesting the effects occur more centrally. The age-related changes are consistent with reduced activation of specific inhibitory interneuron subtypes. Importantly, our data suggest that the auditory circuits that generate 'young' responses to sounds are present in old mice, and can be activated by nicotine.