The role of mesocortical projections in age-related cognitive decline
Description: Mesocortical projections from the ventral tegmental area to the prefrontal cortex are suggested to participate in working memory cognitive decline. The DOPAGE project will investigate through in-depth behavioral and anatomical analysis the involvement of mesocortical neurons in age-related cognitive decline in both male and female mice. We hypothesize subtle compensatory changes in mesocortical neurons underlie inter-individual differences in WM performance in older individuals. We will characterize the functional involvement of two subpopulations of mesocortical inputs : dopamine and glutamate neurons. We will investigate their respective functional roles through optogenetics, in order to rescue WM performance in cognitively impaired individuals and provide a mechanism underlying inter-individual differences during aging. Overall, our project will provide knowledge on how aging affects mesocortical cellular subpopulations in both sexes and how those may participate in working memory deficits.
Funder: Agence Nationale de la Recherche
Amount: €435,100
Funding type: research
Funder scheme: AAPG2022
Start date: 2022-11-01
Investigator: Satoru OTANI
Institution: Institut de la vision
Funded outputs count: 0
Funder award ID: ANR-22-CE37-0031
OpenAlex ID: G1556634973