Affiliation:
1. NAP Adaptive Neuroethology, Department of Experimental Zoology, Balaton Limnological Institute, Centre for Ecological Research, Tihany, Hungary
2. Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
Abstract
Abstract
With the increase of life span, normal aging and age-related memory decline are affecting an increasing number of people; however, many aspects of these processes are still not fully understood. Although vertebrate models have provided considerable insights into the molecular and electrophysiological changes associated with brain aging, invertebrates, including the widely recognized molluscan model organism, the great pond snail (Lymnaea stagnalis), have proven to be extremely useful for studying mechanisms of aging at the level of identified individual neurons and well-defined circuits. Its numerically simpler nervous system, well-characterized life cycle, and relatively long life span make it an ideal organism to study age-related changes in the nervous system. Here, we provide an overview of age-related studies on L. stagnalis and showcase this species as a contemporary choice for modeling the molecular, cellular, circuit, and behavioral mechanisms of aging and age-related memory impairment.
Funder
National Research, Development and Innovation Fund
National Brain Project
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Subject
Geriatrics and Gerontology,Ageing