When
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Investigating Age-Associated Changes to the Ventral Hippocampal-Prefrontal Cortex Circuit.
Sahana Srivathsa, NRSC Graduate Student
Abstract: Cognitive decline in memory processing and executive functioning, such as decision making is characteristic of normal aging. Key brain regions involved in these processes include the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which are connected via a monosynaptic projection from the ventral hippocampus to the mPFC. While previous studies have investigated neural activity synchronization between the dorsal hippocampus and mPFC during decision-making and working memory tasks, little attention has been given to the direct connection between the ventral hippocampus (vHC) and mPFC.My research investigates the neural connectivity between the vHC and mPFC in rats performing a working memory task using electrophysiological recordings. Specifically, I compare how individual neurons as well as specific oscillatory frequencies synchronize between these two regions differently in young and old rats as they perform the task. Additionally, I investigate age-related sub-region specific connectivity differences within the vHC-mPFC circuit through stimulation experiments conducted in anesthetized rats. The research project aims to understand how aging affects the functional connectivity between the vHC and mPFC during cognitive tasks and thus better understand the underlying mechanisms of age-related cognitive decline.