Abstract
Aged (23-25-month-old) male Long-Evans rats were assessed for deficits in spatial cognition relative to young (4-6-month-old) rats. An in vitro autoradiography study was then conducted for muscarinic M2 sites using [3H]- AF-DX 384 to assess binding in basal forebrain and brainstem areas where cholinergic neurons are localized. The analysis of basal forebrain included the medial septal/diagonal band region that provides cholinergic innervation of the hippocampus; the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus and pedunculopotine tegmental nucleus were analyzed in the brainstem. A significant age-related reduction in M2 binding was found in both the basal forebrain and brainstem. Only the reduction in the basal forebrain, however, was correlated with spatial learning impairment. Although the basal forebrain and brainsteam cholinergic systems are each vulnerable in normal aging, contributions to the behavioral effects of aging may be distinctive for the two systems.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 217-225 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Neurobiology of aging |
Volume | 19 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 1998 |
Keywords
- AF-DX 384
- Basal forebrain
- Brainstem
- Cholinergic neurons
- M2 receptors
- Rats
- Spatial memory
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Neuroscience
- Aging
- Clinical Neurology
- Developmental Biology
- Geriatrics and Gerontology