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Updated: Aug 10, 2025

Preparation of Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rats and Transgenic Mice for the Study of Synaptic Alterations during Aging and Amyloid Pathology

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Published on: March 23, 2011

Brain Macro-Structural Alterations in Aging Rats: A Longitudinal Lifetime Approach.

Sidra Gull¹, Christian Gaser^1,2,3, Karl-Heinz Herrmann⁴

¹Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, D-07747 Jena, Germany.

|February 11, 2023

Summary

Brain aging in rats shows structural changes, with some areas shrinking and others growing, offering insights into cognitive decline and potential interventions for healthy aging.

Keywords:

DBM aging animal brain deformation-based morphometry in vivo plasticity rodent volume

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Aging Research
Comparative Anatomy

Background:

Brain structure changes with age, potentially impacting cognitive function.
Understanding animal brain aging patterns is crucial for their relevance to human aging.

Purpose of the Study:

To longitudinally investigate structural brain aging in rats using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and deformation-based morphometry (DBM).
To compare rat brain aging patterns with known human age-related structural changes.

Main Methods:

Longitudinal screening of male RccHan:WIST rat brains across their lifespan.
Application of MRI and DBM techniques.
Combined region of interest (ROI) and voxel-wise analyses.

Main Results:

Global brain volume increased, but local morphologic alterations varied, with significant changes in early to middle life.
Cortical sensory areas (visual, auditory, somatosensory) showed shrinkage, while the piriform cortex was resistant.
Shrinkage observed in the amygdala, subiculum, flocculus, and frontal, parietal, and motor cortices.
Ectorhinal, entorhinal, retrosplenial, and cingulate cortices, associated with higher-order functions, exhibited significant growth with age.

Conclusions:

Rat brain aging exhibits complex structural changes, including regional shrinkage and growth, which may not directly mirror human patterns.
These findings advance the understanding of brain aging and could inform strategies for preserving cognitive health in older age.