ERIC Number: EJ1041575
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Oct
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1072-0502
EISSN: N/A
Epigenetic Contributions to Cognitive Aging: Disentangling Mindspan and Lifespan
Spiegel, Amy M.; Sewal, Angila S.; Rapp, Peter R.
Learning & Memory, v21 n10 p569-574 Oct 2014
Epigenetic modifications of chromatin structure provide a mechanistic interface for gene-environment interactions that impact the individualization of health trajectories across the lifespan. A growing body of research indicates that dysfunctional epigenetic regulation contributes to poor cognitive outcomes among aged populations. Here we review neuroepigenetic research as it relates to cognitive aging, focusing specifically on memory function mediated by the hippocampal system. Recent work that differentiates epigenetic contributions to chronological aging from influences on mindspan, or the preservation of normal cognitive abilities across the lifespan, is also highlighted. Together, current evidence indicates that while age-related memory impairment is associated with dysfunction in the coordinated regulation of chromatin modification, animal models that show individual differences in cognitive outcome underscore the enormous mechanistic complexity that surrounds epigenetic dynamics in the aged hippocampus.
Descriptors: Aging (Individuals), Genetics, Environmental Influences, Interaction, Cognitive Ability, Neurological Impairments, Research, Memory, Brain Hemisphere Functions, Animals, Individual Differences
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. 500 Sunnyside Boulevard, Woodbury, NY 11797-2924. Tel: 800-843-4388; Tel: 516-367-8800; Fax: 516-422-4097; e-mail: cshpres@cshl.edu; Web site: http://www.learnmem.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative; Information Analyses
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A