[CTN] CTN seminar: Dr. Mark Laubach (Yale), May 17th, 3:30pm, PAS 2464

[Matthijs van der Meer]

Dear all,

Please join us for next Tuesday's CTN seminar by Dr. Mark Laubach
(Yale University, USA). Title and abstract are below.

Time and place are the usual, 3.30pm on Tuesday in PAS 2464. If you have
an updated slide on past, current or future work for the slideshow after
the talk, please send it to me Monday evening at the latest.

Finally, if you'd like to meet with Dr. Laubach, please let me know!

Thanks,

- Matt


Lost in transition: Aging-related changes in executive control signals
in the rodent medial prefrontal cortex

Abstract:

Aging reduces the ability of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) to exert
control over action. We examined neural correlates of executive
control in the PFC of younger (6 mo) and older (24 mo) rats during
delayed response tasks. We also assessed aging-related differences in
proteins related to cAMP signaling that might relate to behavioral
changes (e.g., alpha-2A adrenergic receptors, PDE4A, and HCN
channels). Older animals performed the tasks at a slow pace and wasted
time licking dry spouts and pressing levers despite the presence of
stimuli indicating reward elsewhere. These aging-related
perseverations were associated with reductions in: 1) PDE4A, 2) neural
firing rates, 3) neural sensitivity to behavioral pace, and 4)
sensitivity to stimuli indicating reward availability. Our results
suggest that aging impairs the ability of prefrontal networks to keep
subjects "on task" and that cognitive enhancers that inhibit cAMP
signaling may restore this aspect of executive control in the elderly.