Nonpharmacological amelioration of age-related learning deficits:: The impact of hippocampal θ-triggered training
Nonpharmacological amelioration of age-related learning deficits:: The impact of hippocampal θ-triggered training
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DOI：
10.1073/pnas.0506515102
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发表时间：
2005-09-13
影响因子：
11.1
通讯作者：
Berry, SD
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Asaka, Y;Mauldin, KN;Berry, SD
海马相关的学习障碍通常归因于海马功能的恶化。相反，海马活动的一个研究良好的指数，θ节律，被称为增强海马可塑性和加速学习速度在年轻的受试者，这表明θ活动的操纵可能被用作一种手段，以抵消与衰老过程有关的损伤。在这里，年轻和年长的兔子进行眨眼条件反射试验时，表现出海马theta（theta+）或无论海马活动（轭控制）。尽管正如预期的那样，老年对照组动物表现出学习缺陷，但老年θ +组的学习速度与年轻对照组一样快，这表明衰老缺陷，至少在眨眼经典条件反射中，可以通过在海马θ活动期间进行试验来克服。几个学习标准的使用表明，海马theta的益处发生在学习的多个阶段，这些阶段可能取决于不同的认知或运动过程。虽然在早期阶段的收购，θ触发的培训在两个年龄组的好处，增强持续在老年动物，在后期性能达到峰值。这些发现对与年龄相关的记忆缺陷的理论有影响，并可能有助于开发有益的治疗方法。
Age-related learning deficits are often attributed to deterioration of hippocampal function. Conversely, a well studied index of hippocampal activity, the theta rhythm, is known to enhance hippocampal plasticity and accelerate learning rate in young subjects, suggesting that manipulations of theta activity might be used as a means to counteract impairments related to the aging process. Here, young and older rabbits were given eyeblink conditioning trials either when exhibiting hippocampal theta (theta+) or regardless of hippocampal activity (yoked control). Although, as expected, older-yoked control animals showed a learning deficit, the older theta+ group learned as fast as young controls, demonstrating that aging deficits, at least in eyeblink classical conditioning, can be overcome by giving trials during episodes of hippocampal theta activity. The use of several learning criteria showed that the benefits of hippocampal theta occur in multiple phases of learning that may depend on different cognitive or motor processes. Whereas there was a benefit of theta-triggered training in both age groups during the early phase of acquisition, the enhancement persisted in older animals, peaking during later performance. These findings have implications for theories of age-related memory deficits and may contribute to the development of beneficial treatments.