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Navakkode S, Kennedy BK. Neural ageing and synaptic plasticity: prioritizing brain health in healthy longevity. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1428244. [PMID: 39161341 PMCID: PMC11330810 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1428244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Ageing is characterized by a gradual decline in the efficiency of physiological functions and increased vulnerability to diseases. Ageing affects the entire body, including physical, mental, and social well-being, but its impact on the brain and cognition can have a particularly significant effect on an individual's overall quality of life. Therefore, enhancing lifespan and physical health in longevity studies will be incomplete if cognitive ageing is over looked. Promoting successful cognitive ageing encompasses the objectives of mitigating cognitive decline, as well as simultaneously enhancing brain function and cognitive reserve. Studies in both humans and animal models indicate that cognitive decline related to normal ageing and age-associated brain disorders are more likely linked to changes in synaptic connections that form the basis of learning and memory. This activity-dependent synaptic plasticity reorganises the structure and function of neurons not only to adapt to new environments, but also to remain robust and stable over time. Therefore, understanding the neural mechanisms that are responsible for age-related cognitive decline becomes increasingly important. In this review, we explore the multifaceted aspects of healthy brain ageing with emphasis on synaptic plasticity, its adaptive mechanisms and the various factors affecting the decline in cognitive functions during ageing. We will also explore the dynamic brain and neuroplasticity, and the role of lifestyle in shaping neuronal plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheeja Navakkode
- Healthy Longevity Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Centre for Healthy Longevity, National University Health System, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Life Sciences Institute Neurobiology Programme, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Brian K. Kennedy
- Healthy Longevity Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Centre for Healthy Longevity, National University Health System, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Life Sciences Institute Neurobiology Programme, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Departments of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Buck Institute for Research on Ageing, Novato, CA, United States
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Sepahvand T, Nazari N, Qin T, Rajani V, Yuan Q. Olfactory threat extinction in the piriform cortex: An age-dependent employment of NMDA receptor-dependent long-term depression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2309986120. [PMID: 37878718 PMCID: PMC10622944 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309986120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Extinction of threat memory is a measure of behavioral flexibility. In the absence of additional reinforcement, the extinction of learned behaviors allows animals and humans to adapt to their changing environment. Extinction mechanisms and their therapeutic implications for maladaptive learning have been extensively studied. However, how aging affects extinction learning is much less understood. Using a rat model of olfactory threat extinction, we show that the extinction of olfactory threat memory is impaired in aged Sprague-Darley rats. Following extinction training, long-term depression (LTD) in the piriform cortex (PC) was inducible ex vivo in aged rats and was NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-independent. On the other hand, adult rats acquired successful olfactory threat extinction, and LTD was not inducible following extinction training. Neuronal cFos activation in the posterior PC correlated with learning and extinction performance in rats. NMDAR blockade either systemically or locally in the PC during extinction training prevented successful extinction in adult rats, following which NMDAR-dependent LTD became inducible ex vivo. This suggests that extinction learning employs NMDAR-dependent LTD mechanisms in the PC of adult rats, thus occluding further LTD induction ex vivo. The rescue of olfactory threat extinction in aged rats by D-cycloserine, a partial NMDAR agonist, suggests that the impairment in olfactory threat extinction of aged animals may relate to NMDAR hypofunctioning and a lack of NMDAR-dependent LTD. These findings are consistent with an age-related switch from NMDAR-dependent to NMDAR-independent LTD in the PC. Optimizing NMDAR function in sensory cortices may improve learning and flexible behavior in the aged population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tayebeh Sepahvand
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NLA1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Negar Nazari
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NLA1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Tian Qin
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NLA1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Vishaal Rajani
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NLA1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Qi Yuan
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NLA1B 3V6, Canada
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Chou SM, Yen YH, Yuan F, Zhang SC, Chong CM. Neuronal Senescence in the Aged Brain. Aging Dis 2023; 14:1618-1632. [PMID: 37196117 PMCID: PMC10529744 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2023.0214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular senescence is a highly complicated cellular state that occurs throughout the lifespan of an organism. It has been well-defined in mitotic cells by various senescent features. Neurons are long-lived post-mitotic cells with special structures and functions. With age, neurons display morphological and functional changes, accompanying alterations in proteostasis, redox balance, and Ca2+ dynamics; however, it is ambiguous whether these neuronal changes belong to the features of neuronal senescence. In this review, we strive to identify and classify changes that are relatively specific to neurons in the aging brain and define them as features of neuronal senescence through comparisons with common senescent features. We also associate them with the functional decline of multiple cellular homeostasis systems, proposing the possibility that these systems are the main drivers of neuronal senescence. We hope this summary will serve as a steppingstone for further inputs on a comprehensive but relatively specific list of phenotypes for neuronal senescence and in particular their underlying molecular events during aging. This will in turn shine light on the association between neuronal senescence and neurodegeneration and lead to the development of strategies to perturb the processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Min Chou
- Program in Neuroscience & Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, 169857 Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Yu-Hsin Yen
- Program in Neuroscience & Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, 169857 Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Fang Yuan
- Program in Neuroscience & Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, 169857 Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Su-Chun Zhang
- Program in Neuroscience & Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, 169857 Singapore, Singapore.
- Department of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
| | - Cheong-Meng Chong
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.
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Mochida S. Calcium Channels and Calcium-Binding Proteins. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14257. [PMID: 37762560 PMCID: PMC10532058 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241814257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Signals of nerve impulses are transmitted to excitatory cells to induce the action of organs via the activation of Ca2+ entry through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCC), which are classified based on their activation threshold into high- and low-voltage activated channels, expressed specifically for each organ [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumiko Mochida
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo 160-8402, Japan
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Csemer A, Kovács A, Maamrah B, Pocsai K, Korpás K, Klekner Á, Szücs P, Nánási PP, Pál B. Astrocyte- and NMDA receptor-dependent slow inward currents differently contribute to synaptic plasticity in an age-dependent manner in mouse and human neocortex. Aging Cell 2023; 22:e13939. [PMID: 37489544 PMCID: PMC10497838 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Slow inward currents (SICs) are known as excitatory events of neurons elicited by astrocytic glutamate via activation of extrasynaptic NMDA receptors. By using slice electrophysiology, we tried to provide evidence that SICs can elicit synaptic plasticity. Age dependence of SICs and their impact on synaptic plasticity was also investigated in both on murine and human cortical slices. It was found that SICs can induce a moderate synaptic plasticity, with features similar to spike timing-dependent plasticity. Overall SIC activity showed a clear decline with aging in humans and completely disappeared above a cutoff age. In conclusion, while SICs contribute to a form of astrocyte-dependent synaptic plasticity both in mice and humans, this plasticity is differentially affected by aging. Thus, SICs are likely to play an important role in age-dependent physiological and pathological alterations of synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Csemer
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
- Doctoral School of Molecular MedicineUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
| | - Adrienn Kovács
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
| | - Baneen Maamrah
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
- Doctoral School of Molecular MedicineUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
| | - Krisztina Pocsai
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
| | - Kristóf Korpás
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
| | - Álmos Klekner
- Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical CentreUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
| | - Péter Szücs
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
| | - Péter P. Nánási
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
- Department of Dental Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of DentistryUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
| | - Balázs Pál
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
- Doctoral School of Molecular MedicineUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
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Maziar A, Critch TNRHY, Ghosh S, Rajani V, Flynn CM, Qin T, Reinhardt C, Man KNM, Lee A, Hell JW, Yuan Q. Aging differentially affects LTCC function in hippocampal CA1 and piriform cortex pyramidal neurons. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:1489-1503. [PMID: 35437602 PMCID: PMC9930631 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is associated with cognitive decline and memory loss in humans. In rats, aging-associated neuronal excitability changes and impairments in learning have been extensively studied in the hippocampus. Here, we investigated the roles of L-type calcium channels (LTCCs) in the rat piriform cortex (PC), in comparison with those of the hippocampus. We employed spatial and olfactory tasks that involve the hippocampus and PC. LTCC blocker nimodipine administration impaired spontaneous location recognition in adult rats (6-9 months). However, the same blocker rescued the spatial learning deficiency in aged rats (19-23 months). In an odor-associative learning task, infusions of nimodipine into either the PC or dorsal CA1 impaired the ability of adult rats to learn a positive odor association. Again, in contrast, nimodipine rescued odor associative learning in aged rats. Aged CA1 neurons had higher somatic expression of LTCC Cav1.2 subunits, exhibited larger afterhyperpolarization (AHP) and lower excitability compared with adult neurons. In contrast, PC neurons from aged rats showed higher excitability and no difference in AHP. Cav1.2 expression was similar in adult and aged PC somata, but relatively higher in PSD95- puncta in aged dendrites. Our data suggest unique features of aging-associated changes in LTCCs in the PC and hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Maziar
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Tristian N R H Y Critch
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Sourav Ghosh
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Vishaal Rajani
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Cassandra M Flynn
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Tian Qin
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Camila Reinhardt
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Kwun Nok Mimi Man
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
| | - Amy Lee
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas-Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Johannes W Hell
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
| | - Qi Yuan
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
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Modulation of L-type calcium channels in Alzheimer's disease: A potential therapeutic target. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 21:11-20. [PMID: 36514335 PMCID: PMC9719069 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.11.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium plays a fundamental role in various signaling pathways and cellular processes in the human organism. In the nervous system, voltage-gated calcium channels such as L-type calcium channels (LTCCs) are critical elements in mediating neurotransmitter release, synaptic integration and plasticity. Dysfunction of LTCCs has been implicated in both aging and Alzheimer's Disease (AD), constituting a key component of calcium hypothesis of AD. As such, LTCCs are a promising drug target in AD. However, due to their structural and functional complexity, the mechanisms by which LTCCs contribute to AD are still unclear. In this review, we briefly summarize the structure, function, and modulation of LTCCs that are the backbone for understanding pathological processes involving LTCCs. We suggest targeting molecular pathways up-regulating LTCCs in AD may be a more promising approach, given the diverse physiological functions of LTCCs and the ineffectiveness of LTCC blockers in clinical studies.
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Key Words
- AC, adenylyl cyclase
- AD, Alzheimer’s Disease
- AHP, afterhyperpolarization
- AR, adrenoceptor
- Aging
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Aβ, β-amyloid
- BIN1, bridging integrator 1
- BTZs, benzothiazepines
- CDF, calcium-dependent facilitation
- CDI, calcium-dependent inactivation
- CaMKII, calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II
- DHP, dihydropyridine
- L-type calcium channel
- LTCC, L-type calcium channels
- LTD, long-term depression
- LTP, long-term potentiation
- NFT, neurofibrillary tangles
- NMDAR, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor
- PAA, phenylalkylamines
- PKA, protein kinase A
- PKC, protein kinase C
- PKG, protein kinase G
- SFK, Src family kinase
- Tau
- VSD, voltage sensing domain
- β-Amyloid
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Li Y, Chen W, Deng H, Li T, Liu Z, Liu X, Zhang Z, Chen X, Sheng J, Li K. TGF-β1 Protects Trauma-injured Murine Cortical Neurons by Upregulating L-type Calcium Channel Ca v1.2 via the p38 Pathway. Neuroscience 2022; 492:47-57. [PMID: 35460836 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of disability and death in adolescents, and there is a lack of effective methods of treatment. The neuroprotective effects exerted by TGF-β1 can ameliorate a range of neuronal lesions in multiple central nervous system diseases. In this study, we used an in-vitro TBI model of mechanical injury on murine primary cortical neurons and the neuro-2a cell line to investigate the neuroprotective role played by TGF-β1 in cortical neurons in TBI. Our results showed that TGF-β1 significantly increased neuronal viability and inhibited apoptosis for 24 h after trauma. The expression of Cav1.2, an L-type calcium channel (LTCC) isoform, decreased significantly after trauma injury, and this change was reversed by TGF-β1. Nimodipine, a classic LTCC blocker, abolished the protective effect of TGF-β1 on trauma-induced neuronal apoptosis. The knockdown of Cav1.2 in differentiated neuro-2a cells significantly inhibited the anti-apoptosis effect of TGF-β1 exerted on injured neuro-2a cells. Moreover, TGF-β1 rescued and enhanced the trauma-suppressed neuro-2a intracellular Ca2+ concentration, while the effect of TGF-β1 was partially inhibited by nimodipine. TGF-β1 significantly upregulated the expression of Cav1.2 by activating the p38 MAPK pathway and by inhibiting trauma-induced neuronal apoptosis. In conclusion, TGF-β1 increased trauma-injured murine cortical neuronal activity and inhibited apoptosis by upregulating Cav1.2 channels via activating the p38 MAPK pathway. Therefore, the TGF-β1/p38 MAPK/Cav 1.2 pathway has the potential to be used as a novel therapeutic target for TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanlei Li
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Weiqiang Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Huixiong Deng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Tian Li
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Zhenning Liu
- Department of Laboratory, Guangzhou Chest Hospital, China
| | - Xueer Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Zelin Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Chen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Jiangtao Sheng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Kangsheng Li
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
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Rajani V, Yuan Q. Noradrenergic Modulation of the Piriform Cortex: A Possible Avenue for Understanding Pre-Clinical Alzheimer’s Disease Pathogenesis. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:908758. [PMID: 35722616 PMCID: PMC9204642 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.908758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfactory dysfunction is one of the biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnosis and progression. Deficits with odor identification and discrimination are common symptoms of pre-clinical AD, preceding severe memory disorder observed in advanced stages. As a result, understanding mechanisms of olfactory impairment is a major focus in both human studies and animal models of AD. Pretangle tau, a precursor to tau tangles, is first observed in the locus coeruleus (LC). In a recent animal model, LC pretangle tau leads to LC fiber degeneration in the piriform cortex (PC), a cortical area associated with olfactory dysfunction in both human AD and rodent models. Here, we review the role of LC-sourced NE in modulation of PC activity and suggest mechanisms by which pretangle tau-mediated LC dysfunction may impact olfactory processing in preclinical stage of AD. Understanding mechanisms of early olfactory impairment in AD may provide a critical window for detection and intervention of disease progression.
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