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NMDA receptor–independent long-term depression correlates with successful aging in rats

Nature Neuroscience volume 8, pages 1657–1659 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Some individuals maintain high cognitive functioning at older ages. Here we show that mechanisms for long-term depression differ in aged rodents that maintain cognitive performance compared to young adults. Our results imply that cognitive abilities may be sustained in aged individuals by a switch in synaptic plasticity mechanisms.

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Figure 1: Switch in an LTD mechanism with age.
Figure 2: Basal synaptic transmission and PLC dependence of LTD.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a US National Institutes of Health grant (NIA PO1AG09973) to M.G. and A.K.

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Author notes

  1. Hey-Kyoung Lee

    Present address: Department of Biology, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science (NACS) Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742, USA

  2. Hey-Kyoung Lee and Sun Seek Min: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroscience, The Mind/Brain Institute, Baltimore, 21218, Maryland, USA

    Hey-Kyoung Lee, Sun Seek Min & Alfredo Kirkwood

  2. Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, 21218, Maryland, USA

    Hey-Kyoung Lee, Sun Seek Min & Michela Gallagher

Authors
  1. Hey-Kyoung Lee
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  2. Sun Seek Min
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  3. Michela Gallagher
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  4. Alfredo Kirkwood
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Michela Gallagher or Alfredo Kirkwood.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Fig. 1

LTD induced by 1 Hz (15 min) protocol is NMDAR- and PLC-dependent in young adults. (PDF 110 kb)

Supplementary Methods (PDF 76 kb)

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Lee, HK., Min, S., Gallagher, M. et al. NMDA receptor–independent long-term depression correlates with successful aging in rats. Nat Neurosci 8, 1657–1659 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1586

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