Transcriptomic changes in the prefrontal cortex of rats as a function of age and cognitive engagement.

ABSTRACT: Although changes in cognitive functions including attention are well documented in aging, the neurobiological basis for such alterations is not fully understood. Increasing evidence points towards the contribution of genetic factors in age-related cognitive decline. However, genetic studies have remained inconsistent in characterizing specific genes that could predict functional decline in aging. Here we utilized next generation RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to identify patterns of differentially expressed genes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a brain region implicated in attention, of young and aged animals that were either cognitively trained or had limited cognitive engagement. Consistent with previous investigations, aging alone was associated with increased expression of genes involved in

SUBMITTER: Duggan MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6689248 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature