Stable olfactory sensory neuron in vivo physiology during normal aging

Neurobiology of Aging
Marley D KassJohn P McGann

Abstract

Normal aging is associated with a number of smell impairments that are paralleled by age-dependent changes in the peripheral olfactory system, including decreases in olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and in the regenerative capacity of the epithelium. Thus, an age-dependent degradation of sensory input to the brain is one proposed mechanism for the loss of olfactory function in older populations. Here, we tested this hypothesis by performing in vivo optical neurophysiology in 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month-old mice. We visualized odor-evoked neurotransmitter release from populations of OSNs into olfactory bulb glomeruli, and found that these sensory inputs are actually quite stable during normal aging. Specifically, the magnitude and number of odor-evoked glomerular responses were comparable across all ages, and there was no effect of age on the sensitivity of OSN responses to odors or on the neural discriminability of different sensory maps. These results suggest that the brain's olfactory bulbs do not receive deteriorated input during aging and that local bulbar circuitry might adapt to maintain stable nerve input.

Citations

May 8, 2020·Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy : SRA·Neşat Çulluİlkay Koşar

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Brain Aging

Here is the latest research on intrinsic and extrinsic factors, as well as pathways and mechanisms that underlie aging in the central nervous system.

Related Papers

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
Dennis Eckmeier, Stephen David Shea
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Marion B RichardCharles A Greer
© 2022 Meta ULC. All rights reserved