'Tagging' along memories in aging: Synaptic tagging and capture mechanisms in the aged hippocampus.

'Tagging' along memories in aging: Synaptic tagging and capture mechanisms in the aged hippocampus. Ageing Res Rev. 2017 Jan 05;: Authors: Shetty MS, Sajikumar S Abstract Aging is accompanied by a general decline in the physiological functions of the body with the deteriorating organ systems. Brain is no exception to this and deficits in cognitive functions are quite common in advanced aging. Though a variety of age-related alterations are observed in the structure and function throughout the brain, certain regions show selective vulnerability. Medial temporal lobe, especially the hippocampus, is one such preferentially vulnerable region and is a crucial structure involved in the learning and long-term memory functions. Hippocampal synaptic plasticity, such as long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD), are candidate cellular correlates of learning and memory and alterations in these properties have been well documented in aging. A related phenomenon called synaptic tagging and capture (STC) has been proposed as a mechanism for cellular memory consolidation and to account for temporal association of memories. Mounting evidences from behavioral settings suggest that STC could be a physiological phenomenon. In this article, we review the recent data concerning STC and provide a framework for how alterations in STC-related mechanisms could contribute to the age-associated memory impairments. The enormity of impairment in learning...
Source: Ageing Research Reviews - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Tags: Ageing Res Rev Source Type: research