Loss of Synapses in the Cerebellar Cortex of the Senescent Rat

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Abstract
Numbers of synapses were compared in the cerebellar cortex of adult (12 months of age) and senescent (25 months of age) male rats of the fisher-344 strain. The total number of axodendritic synapses was found to be 24% lower in the senescent rats as compared with adults. A differential analysis of synapses involving dendritic shafts and spines showed no significant change in numbers of synapses involving shafts, but a highly significant 33% decrease in numbers involving spines in senescent rats. These data suggest that the selective age-related loss of synapses involving dendritic spines (but not shafts) in the cerebellar cortex results from the impairment with advanced age of specific afferent neurons and/or a selective age-related vulnerability of dendritic spines.

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