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Synaptic structural changes during development and aging.

E J Markus1, T L Petit, J C LeBoutillier

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Scarborough, Ont., Canada.

Brain Research
|October 1, 1987
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Synaptic structure in the motor-sensory neocortex changes during development but remains stable in old age. This study tracked synaptic development and aging, finding no structural decline in aged brains.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Aging Research

Background:

  • Synaptic number changes are well-studied, but synaptic structure during development and aging is less understood.
  • Investigating the molecular layer of the motor-sensory neocortex provides insights into neural plasticity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine how synaptic structure evolves from early development through adulthood to old age.
  • To determine if synaptic structure changes with aging, contrasting with known changes in synaptic number.

Main Methods:

  • Quantified synaptic characteristics including presynaptic and postsynaptic element dimensions, vesicle dynamics, and cleft width.
  • Utilized osmium tetroxide and ethanol phosphotungstic acid staining for electron microscopy.
  • Examined tissue across multiple developmental stages (P1-P60), adulthood (P90), and old age (28 months).

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Main Results:

  • Synaptic element length increased early, followed by thickness increases into adulthood.
  • Presynaptic dense projection height and width increased during development and stabilized.
  • Synaptic vesicle number increased across the lifespan, while vesicle size decreased; no structural decline was observed during aging.

Conclusions:

  • Synaptic structure undergoes significant changes during development but shows remarkable stability in old age.
  • Rapid synaptogenesis does not involve decreases in synaptic structural parameters, suggesting efficient formation or plasticity.
  • Aging does not alter synaptic structure in the motor-sensory neocortex, contrary to age-related synaptic number changes.