Abstract
Hippocampal responses were compared in 16 old (15-22 month) and 14 young (2-5 month) Syrian hamsters to determine if this species showed age-dependent changes in potentiation. Population spike amplitude increased following tetanus by 84.1 ± 20.0% in slices from young animals and by 51.1 ± 6.3% in slices from old animals (P < 0.05). In addition, I-O curves (plots of population spike amplitude vs. intensity of Schaffer collateral excitation) were obtained before and after tetanus. While regions of I-O curves near threshold and saturation showed no significant change, the slope at the midpoint of the I-O curve increased by 152.3 ± 68.4% in slices from young animals and by 13.7 ± 10.0% in slices from old animals (P < 0.05). Thus, in old hamsters (as in rats) potentiation was impaired and slope changes of I/O curves clearly displayed this deficit. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 85-88 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Neuroscience Letters |
Volume | 297 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 12 2001 |
Keywords
- Aging
- CA1 Pyramidal cells
- Hippocampus
- Long-term potentiation
- Mesocricetus auratus
- Neural plasticity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuroscience(all)