Does age matter? Behavioral and neuro-anatomical effects of neonatal and adult basal forebrain cholinergic lesions.

摘要: The "cholinergic hypothesis" of dementia posits that the progressive loss basal forebrain cholinergic neurons and consequent decrease acetylcholine levels in deafferented projection sites are correlated with degree cognitive decline dementia. It has also been proposed early dysfunction (BF) system may be a risk factor for subsequent possibly To characterize how age when BF is lesioned affects behavioral performances morphology neocortical neurons, seven-day-old rats were bilaterally i.c.v. injected 192 IgG-saporin. In adulthood, these animals subjected to spatial associative tests. Subsequently, parietal pyramidal was assessed. same morphological evaluations made 80-day-old tested three weeks after bilateral injections consequences both depletions markedly similar. While groups exhibited very subtle deficits Morris water maze, they significantly impaired discrimination open field radial maze. Paralleling data, results analysis revealed comparable increases number density spines apical dendrites layer-III following neonatal adult depletions. present demonstrate abnormal maturation not substantially different from those evoked by adulthood provide developmental psychobiological perspective neuronal foundations functions.