1
|
Berendzen KM, Bales KL, Manoli DS. Attachment across the lifespan: Examining the intersection of pair bonding neurobiology and healthy aging. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105339. [PMID: 37536581 PMCID: PMC11073483 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that intact social bonds are protective against age-related morbidity, while bond disruption and social isolation increase the risk for multiple age-related diseases. Social attachments, the enduring, selective bonds formed between individuals, are thus essential to human health. Socially monogamous species like the prairie vole (M. ochrogaster) form long-term pair bonds, allowing us to investigate the mechanisms underlying attachment and the poorly understood connection between social bonds and health. In this review, we explore several potential areas of focus emerging from data in humans and other species associating attachment and healthy aging, and evidence from prairie voles that may clarify this link. We examine gaps in our understanding of social cognition and pair bond behavior. Finally, we discuss physiologic pathways related to pair bonding that promote resilience to the processes of aging and age-related disease. Advances in the development of molecular genetic tools in monogamous species will allow us to bridge the mechanistic gaps presented and identify conserved research and therapeutic targets relevant to human health and aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristen M. Berendzen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
| | - Karen L. Bales
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis; Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis; Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Devanand S. Manoli
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Aguiar RP, Soares LM, Varney M, Newman-Tancredi A A, Milani H, Prickaerts J, de Oliveira RMW. NLX-101, a 5-HT 1A receptor-biased agonist, improves pattern separation and stimulates neuroplasticity in aged rats. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 124:52-59. [PMID: 36739621 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
5-HT1A serotonin receptors may play a role in cognitive function changes related to advanced age. Here, we investigated the effects of acute and repeated treatment with NLX-101 (F15599), a postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptor-biased agonist, and F13714, a presynaptic 5-HT1A receptor-biased agonist on spatial object pattern separation (OPS) in aged (22-24 months) rats. Neuroplasticity markers including brain-derived neurotrophic factor, PSD95, synaptophysin, and doublecortin were evaluated in the hippocampus. Unlike younger rats, aged rats were incapable of discriminating any new position of the objects in the arena, reflecting the detrimental effect of aging on pattern separation. However, aged animals treated with NLX-101 showed a significant cognitive improvement in the OPS test, accompanied by increases in hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor and PSD95 protein levels. In contrast, no improvement in OPS performance was observed when aged rats received F13714. Both F13714 and NLX-101 increased the number of newborn neurons in the hippocampi of aged rats. These findings provide a rationale for targeting post-synaptic 5-HT1A as a treatment for cognitive deficits related to aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Pazinatto Aguiar
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Lígia Mendes Soares
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | | | | | - Humberto Milani
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Jos Prickaerts
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ferguson LA, Leal SL. Interactions of Emotion and Memory in the Aging Brain: Neural and Psychological Correlates. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40473-021-00245-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
|
4
|
McQuail JA, Dunn AR, Stern Y, Barnes CA, Kempermann G, Rapp PR, Kaczorowski CC, Foster TC. Cognitive Reserve in Model Systems for Mechanistic Discovery: The Importance of Longitudinal Studies. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 12:607685. [PMID: 33551788 PMCID: PMC7859530 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.607685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The goal of this review article is to provide a resource for longitudinal studies, using animal models, directed at understanding and modifying the relationship between cognition and brain structure and function throughout life. We propose that forthcoming longitudinal studies will build upon a wealth of knowledge gleaned from prior cross-sectional designs to identify early predictors of variability in cognitive function during aging, and characterize fundamental neurobiological mechanisms that underlie the vulnerability to, and the trajectory of, cognitive decline. Finally, we present examples of biological measures that may differentiate mechanisms of the cognitive reserve at the molecular, cellular, and network level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A McQuail
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Amy R Dunn
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, United States
| | - Yaakov Stern
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Carol A Barnes
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States.,Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Gerd Kempermann
- CRTD-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers (HZ), Dresden, Germany
| | - Peter R Rapp
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Neurocognitive Aging Section, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | | | - Thomas C Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Genetics and Genomics Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hippocampal Subregion Transcriptomic Profiles Reflect Strategy Selection during Cognitive Aging. J Neurosci 2020; 40:4888-4899. [PMID: 32376783 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2944-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related cognitive impairments are associated with differentially expressed genes (DEGs) linked to defined neural systems; however, studies examining multiple regions of the hippocampus fail to find links between behavior and transcription in the dentate gyrus (DG). We hypothesized that use of a task requiring intact DG function would emphasize molecular signals in the DG associated with a decline in performance. We used a water maze beacon discrimination task to characterize young and middle-age male F344 rats, followed by a spatial reference memory probe trial test. Middle-age rats showed increased variability in discriminating two identical beacons. Use of an allocentric strategy and formation of a spatial reference memory were not different between age groups; however, older animals compensated for impaired beacon discrimination through greater reliance on spatial reference memory. mRNA sequencing of hippocampal subregions indicated DEGs in the DG of middle-age rats, linked to synaptic function and neurogenesis, correlated with beacon discrimination performance, suggesting that senescence of the DG underlies the impairment. Few genes correlated with spatial memory across age groups, with a greater number in region CA1. Age-related CA1 DEGs, correlated with spatial memory, were linked to regulation of neural activity. These results indicate that the beacon task is sensitive to impairment in middle age, and distinct gene profiles are observed in neural circuits that underlie beacon discrimination performance and allocentric memory. The use of different strategies in older animals and associated transcriptional profiles could provide an animal model for examining cognitive reserve and neural compensation of aging.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Hippocampal subregions are thought to differentially contribute to memory. We took advantage of age-related variability in performance on a water maze beacon task and next-generation sequencing to test the hypothesis that aging of the dentate gyrus is linked to impaired beacon discrimination and compensatory use of allocentric memory. The dentate gyrus expressed synaptic function and neurogenesis genes correlated with beacon discrimination in middle-age animals. Spatial reference memory was associated with CA1 transcriptional correlates linked to regulation of neural activity and use of an allocentric strategy. This is the first study examining transcriptomes of multiple hippocampal subregions to link age-related impairments associated with discrimination of feature overlap and alternate response strategies to gene expression in specific hippocampal subregions.
Collapse
|
6
|
Nunes PT, Kipp BT, Reitz NL, Savage LM. Aging with alcohol-related brain damage: Critical brain circuits associated with cognitive dysfunction. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2019; 148:101-168. [PMID: 31733663 PMCID: PMC7372724 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2019.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Alcoholism is associated with brain damage and impaired cognitive functioning. The relative contributions of different etiological factors, such as alcohol, thiamine deficiency and age vulnerability, to the development of alcohol-related neuropathology and cognitive impairment are still poorly understood. One reason for this quandary is that both alcohol toxicity and thiamine deficiency produce brain damage and cognitive problems that can be modulated by age at exposure, aging following alcohol toxicity or thiamine deficiency, and aging during chronic alcohol exposure. Pre-clinical models of alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) have elucidated some of the contributions of ethanol toxicity and thiamine deficiency to neuroinflammation, neuronal loss and functional deficits. However, the critical variable of age at the time of exposure or long-term aging with ARBD has been relatively ignored. Acute thiamine deficiency created a massive increase in neuroimmune genes and proteins within the thalamus and significant increases within the hippocampus and frontal cortex. Chronic ethanol treatment throughout adulthood produced very minor fluctuations in neuroimmune genes, regardless of brain region. Intermittent "binge-type" ethanol during the adolescent period established an intermediate neuroinflammatory response in the hippocampus and frontal cortex, that can persist into adulthood. Chronic excessive drinking throughout adulthood, adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure, and thiamine deficiency all led to a loss of the cholinergic neuronal phenotype within the basal forebrain, reduced hippocampal neurogenesis, and alterations in the frontal cortex. Only thiamine deficiency results in gross pathological lesions of the thalamus. The behavioral impairment following these types of treatments is hierarchical: Thiamine deficiency produces the greatest impairment of hippocampal- and prefrontal-dependent behaviors, chronic ethanol drinking ensues mild impairments on both types of tasks and adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure leads to impairments on frontocortical tasks, with sparing on most hippocampal-dependent tasks. However, our preliminary data suggest that as rodents age following adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure, hippocampal functional deficits began to emerge. A necessary requirement for the advancement of understanding the neural consequences of alcoholism is a more comprehensive assessment and understanding of how excessive alcohol drinking at different development periods (adolescence, early adulthood, middle-aged and aged) influences the trajectory of the aging process, including pathological aging and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Polliana Toledo Nunes
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, United States
| | - Brian T Kipp
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, United States
| | - Nicole L Reitz
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, United States
| | - Lisa M Savage
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Templer VL, Wise TB, Heimer-McGinn VR. Social housing protects against age-related working memory decline independently of physical enrichment in rats. Neurobiol Aging 2018; 75:117-125. [PMID: 30557770 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Longitudinal human studies suggest that as we age, sociality provides protective benefits against cognitive decline. However, little is known about the underlying neural mechanisms. Rodent studies, which are ideal for studying cognition, fail to examine the independent effects of social housing while controlling for physical enrichment in all groups. In this study, rats were socially housed or nonsocially housed throughout their lifespan and tested in the radial arm maze to measure working memory (WM) and reference memory longitudinally at 3 ages. In old age, exclusively, socially housed rats made significantly less WM errors than nonsocially housed rats, while reference memory errors did not differ between groups at any age. Anxiety, as assessed behaviorally and physiologically, could not account for the observed differences in WM. These data provide the first evidence that social enrichment alone can prevent age-related WM deficits in spite of the effects of practice seen in longitudinal designs. Importantly, our model will facilitate future investigations into the mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective benefits of sociability in old age.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Taylor B Wise
- Psychology Department, Providence College, Providence, RI, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Evans C, Hvoslef-Eide M, Thomas R, Kidd E, Good MA. A rapidly acquired foraging-based working memory task, sensitive to hippocampal lesions, reveals age-dependent and age-independent behavioural changes in a mouse model of amyloid pathology. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 149:46-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 02/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
9
|
Cès A, Burg T, Herbeaux K, Héraud C, Bott JB, Mensah-Nyagan AG, Mathis C. Age-related vulnerability of pattern separation in C57BL/6J mice. Neurobiol Aging 2017; 62:120-129. [PMID: 29149630 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Aging is associated with impaired performance in behavioral pattern separation (PS) tasks based on similarities in object features and in object location. These deficits have been attributed to functional alterations in the dentate gyrus (DG)-CA3 region. Animal studies suggested a role of adult-born DG neurons in PS performance. The present study investigated the effect of aging in C57BL/6J mice performing PS tasks based on either object features or object location. At the age of 18 months or more, performance was severely impaired in both tasks. Spatial PS performance declined gradually over adult lifespan from 3 to 21 months. Subchronic treatment with the cognitive enhancer D-serine fully rescued spatial PS performance in 18-month-old mice and induced a modest increase in the number of 4-week-old adult-born cells in the DG. Performance of mice in these PS tasks shows an age dependence, which appears to translate well to that found in humans. This model should help in deciphering physiological changes underlying PS deficits and in identifying future therapeutic targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aurélia Cès
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7364, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), 12 Rue Goethe, Strasbourg, France
| | - Thibaut Burg
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7364, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), 12 Rue Goethe, Strasbourg, France
| | - Karine Herbeaux
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7364, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), 12 Rue Goethe, Strasbourg, France
| | - Céline Héraud
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7364, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), 12 Rue Goethe, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Bastien Bott
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7364, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), 12 Rue Goethe, Strasbourg, France
| | - Ayikoe Guy Mensah-Nyagan
- Université de Strasbourg, INSERM U1119, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg (FMTS), Biopathologie de la Myéline, Neuroprotection et Stratégies Thérapeutiques, Bâtiment 3 de la Faculté de Médecine, 11 Rue Humann, Strasbourg, France
| | - Chantal Mathis
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7364, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), 12 Rue Goethe, Strasbourg, France.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Abstract
Millions of individuals suffer from age-related cognitive decline, defined by impaired memory precision. Increased understanding of hippocampal circuit mechanisms underlying memory formation suggests a role for computational processes such as pattern separation and pattern completion in memory precision. We describe evidence implicating the dentate gyrus-CA3 circuit in pattern separation and completion, and examine alterations in dentate gyrus-CA3 circuit structure and function with aging. We discuss the role of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in memory precision in adulthood and aging, as well as the circuit mechanisms underlying the integration and encoding functions of adult-born dentate granule cells. We posit that understanding these circuit mechanisms will permit generation of circuit-based endophenotypes that will edify new therapeutic strategies to optimize hippocampal encoding during aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M McAvoy
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Amar Sahay
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
- BROAD Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Yoder WM, Gaynor LS, Burke SN, Setlow B, Smith DW, Bizon JL. Interaction between age and perceptual similarity in olfactory discrimination learning in F344 rats: relationships with spatial learning. Neurobiol Aging 2017; 53:122-137. [PMID: 28259065 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Revised: 01/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests that aging is associated with a reduced ability to distinguish perceptually similar stimuli in one's environment. As the ability to accurately perceive and encode sensory information is foundational for explicit memory, understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of discrimination impairments that emerge with advancing age could help elucidate the mechanisms of mnemonic decline. To this end, there is a need for preclinical approaches that robustly and reliably model age-associated perceptual discrimination deficits. Taking advantage of rodents' exceptional olfactory abilities, the present study applied rigorous psychophysical techniques to the evaluation of discrimination learning in young and aged F344 rats. Aging did not influence odor detection thresholds or the ability to discriminate between perceptually distinct odorants. In contrast, aged rats were disproportionately impaired relative to young on problems that required discriminations between perceptually similar olfactory stimuli. Importantly, these disproportionate impairments in discrimination learning did not simply reflect a global learning impairment in aged rats, as they performed other types of difficult discriminations on par with young rats. Among aged rats, discrimination deficits were strongly associated with spatial learning deficits. These findings reveal a new, sensitive behavioral approach for elucidating the neural mechanisms of cognitive decline associated with normal aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wendy M Yoder
- Program in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Leslie S Gaynor
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Sara N Burke
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Barry Setlow
- Program in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - David W Smith
- Program in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Center for Smell and Taste, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jennifer L Bizon
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Center for Smell and Taste, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
McAvoy KM, Scobie KN, Berger S, Russo C, Guo N, Decharatanachart P, Vega-Ramirez H, Miake-Lye S, Whalen M, Nelson M, Bergami M, Bartsch D, Hen R, Berninger B, Sahay A. Modulating Neuronal Competition Dynamics in the Dentate Gyrus to Rejuvenate Aging Memory Circuits. Neuron 2016; 91:1356-1373. [PMID: 27593178 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Revised: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The neural circuit mechanisms underlying the integration and functions of adult-born dentate granule cell (DGCs) are poorly understood. Adult-born DGCs are thought to compete with mature DGCs for inputs to integrate. Transient genetic overexpression of a negative regulator of dendritic spines, Kruppel-like factor 9 (Klf9), in mature DGCs enhanced integration of adult-born DGCs and increased NSC activation. Reversal of Klf9 overexpression in mature DGCs restored spines and activity and reset neuronal competition dynamics and NSC activation, leaving the DG modified by a functionally integrated, expanded cohort of age-matched adult-born DGCs. Spine elimination by inducible deletion of Rac1 in mature DGCs increased survival of adult-born DGCs without affecting proliferation or DGC activity. Enhanced integration of adult-born DGCs transiently reorganized adult-born DGC local afferent connectivity and promoted global remapping in the DG. Rejuvenation of the DG by enhancing integration of adult-born DGCs in adulthood, middle age, and aging enhanced memory precision.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M McAvoy
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 USA
| | - Kimberly N Scobie
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Stefan Berger
- Department of Molecular Biology, Central Institute of Mental Health and Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Craig Russo
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Nannan Guo
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 USA
| | | | - Hugo Vega-Ramirez
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 USA
| | - Sam Miake-Lye
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Michael Whalen
- Neuroscience Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Mark Nelson
- Echelon Biosciences, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA
| | - Matteo Bergami
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD) and University Hospital of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Straße 26, D-50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Dusan Bartsch
- Department of Molecular Biology, Central Institute of Mental Health and Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rene Hen
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Benedikt Berninger
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center Johannes Gutenberg University, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Amar Sahay
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Discrimination performance in aging is vulnerable to interference and dissociable from spatial memory. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 23:339-48. [PMID: 27317194 PMCID: PMC4918781 DOI: 10.1101/lm.042069.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Hippocampal-dependent episodic memory and stimulus discrimination abilities are both compromised in the elderly. The reduced capacity to discriminate between similar stimuli likely contributes to multiple aspects of age-related cognitive impairment; however, the association of these behaviors within individuals has never been examined in an animal model. In the present study, young and aged F344×BN F1 hybrid rats were cross-characterized on the Morris water maze test of spatial memory and a dentate gyrus-dependent match-to-position test of spatial discrimination ability. Aged rats showed overall impairments relative to young in spatial learning and memory on the water maze task. Although young and aged learned to apply a match-to-position response strategy in performing easy spatial discriminations within a similar number of trials, a majority of aged rats were impaired relative to young in performing difficult spatial discriminations on subsequent tests. Moreover, all aged rats were susceptible to cumulative interference during spatial discrimination tests, such that error rate increased on later trials of test sessions. These data suggest that when faced with difficult discriminations, the aged rats were less able to distinguish current goal locations from those of previous trials. Increasing acetylcholine levels with donepezil did not improve aged rats' abilities to accurately perform difficult spatial discriminations or reduce their susceptibility to interference. Interestingly, better spatial memory abilities were not significantly associated with higher performance on difficult spatial discriminations. This observation, along with the finding that aged rats made more errors under conditions in which interference was high, suggests that match-to-position spatial discrimination performance may rely on extra-hippocampal structures such as the prefrontal cortex, in addition to the dentate gyrus.
Collapse
|
14
|
Neuroinflammation negatively affects adult hippocampal neurogenesis and cognition: can exercise compensate? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 61:121-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Revised: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
|
15
|
Neurocognitive Aging and the Hippocampus across Species. Trends Neurosci 2015; 38:800-812. [PMID: 26607684 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2015.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2015] [Revised: 09/27/2015] [Accepted: 10/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
There is extensive evidence that aging is associated with impairments in episodic memory. Many of these changes have been ascribed to neurobiological alterations to the hippocampal network and its input pathways. A cross-species consensus is beginning to emerge suggesting that subtle synaptic and functional changes within this network may underlie the majority of age-related memory impairments. In this review we survey convergent data from animal and human studies that have contributed significantly to our understanding of the brain-behavior relationships in this network, particularly in the aging brain. We utilize a cognitive as well as a neurobiological perspective and synthesize data across approaches and species to reach a more detailed understanding of age-related alterations in hippocampal memory function.
Collapse
|
16
|
Wu MV, Luna VM, Hen R. Running rescues a fear-based contextual discrimination deficit in aged mice. Front Syst Neurosci 2015; 9:114. [PMID: 26321926 PMCID: PMC4531235 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2015.00114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Normal aging and exercise exert extensive, often opposing, effects on the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus altering volume, synaptic function, and behaviors. The DG is especially important for behaviors requiring pattern separation—a cognitive process that enables animals to differentiate between highly similar contextual experiences. To determine how age and exercise modulate pattern separation in an aversive setting, young, aged, and aged mice provided with a running wheel were assayed on a fear-based contextual discrimination task. Aged mice showed a profound impairment in contextual discrimination compared to young animals. Voluntary exercise rescued this deficit to such an extent that behavioral pattern separation of aged-run mice was now similar to young animals. Running also resulted in a significant increase in the number of immature neurons with tertiary dendrites in aged mice. Despite this, neurogenesis levels in aged-run mice were still considerably lower than in young animals. Thus, mechanisms other than DG neurogenesis likely play significant roles in improving behavioral pattern separation elicited by exercise in aged animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melody V Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University New York, NY, USA ; Division of Integrative Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute New York, NY, USA
| | - Victor M Luna
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University New York, NY, USA ; Division of Integrative Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute New York, NY, USA
| | - René Hen
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University New York, NY, USA ; Division of Integrative Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute New York, NY, USA ; Departments of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Columbia University New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Small SA. Isolating pathogenic mechanisms embedded within the hippocampal circuit through regional vulnerability. Neuron 2014; 84:32-39. [PMID: 25277453 PMCID: PMC4185396 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Some of the most common and devastating disorders of the brain target the hippocampal formation. The hippocampal formation is a complex circuit of interconnected regions, and it is assumed that clues into the causes of these disorders are embedded within the circuit. Neuroimaging tools have been optimized to interrogate the malfunctioning hippocampal circuit, and by applying these tools to patients in the earliest stages of disease and to animal models, patterns of regional vulnerability have been established for Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and cognitive aging. More recently, studies have begun deciphering the cellular and molecular reasons underlying regional dysfunction. Collectively, this information clarifies the pathophysiology of these disorders and informs on therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Scott A Small
- The Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Departments of Neurology, Radiology, and Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| |
Collapse
|