Prefrontal atrophy, disrupted NREM slow waves and impaired hippocampal-dependent memory in aging.

ABSTRACT: Aging has independently been associated with regional brain atrophy, reduced slow wave activity (SWA) during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and impaired long-term retention of episodic memories. However, whether the interaction of these factors represents a neuropatholgical pathway associated with cognitive decline in later life remains unknown. We found that age-related medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) gray-matter atrophy was associated with reduced NREM SWA in older adults, the extent to which statistically mediated the impairment of overnight sleep-dependent memory retention. Moreover, this memory impairment was further associated with persistent hippocampal activation and reduced task-related hippocampal-prefrontal cortex functional connectivity, potentially representing impoverish

SUBMITTER: Mander BA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4286370 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature