Aging and Synaptic Plasticity: A Review

[摘要] Aging affects all systems, but the brain seemsto be particularly vulnerable to the action ofnegative, age-dependent factors. A gradual lossof memory functions is one of the earliest andmost widespread consequences of brain aging.The causes for such impairment are still unclear.Long-term potentiation (LTP) is one form ofneural plasticity, which has been proposed as thecellular correlate for memory. LTP is affected byaging, and such alteration might be causallyrelated to memory dysfunction. In the presentpaper, we review the evidence sustaining theexistence of a causal link between cognitive andLTP impairments, as well as the possiblemechanisms involved. New results indicate apossible involvement of a deficient reinforcementof LTP by affective influences.

[学科分类] 精神健康和精神病学