The effects of antioxidants in the senescent auditory cortex.
We investigated whether a 2-month dietary supplementation of antioxidants, in the form of blueberry phytochemicals, could reverse or retard the age-related decline in temporal processing speed observed in the aged rat. To this end, extracellular single unit responses to frequency modulated (FM) sweeps were recorded in the primary auditory cortex (AI) of aged rats that had been placed on either a blueberry-supplemented or control diet 2 months prior to the physiological recordings. Results showed that most cells recorded from the blueberry-fed rats responded most vigorously to fast FM sweeps, similar to that observed in young rats. In contrast, the majority of cells recorded from the control rats showed a preference for slow FM sweep rates. These results suggest that age-related changes in temporal processing speed in A1 may be reversed by dietary supplementation of blueberry phytochemicals.
de Rivera
C
C
Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont., Canada M5G 1V7.
Shukitt-Hale
B
B
Joseph
J A
JA
Mendelson
J R
JR
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001308:Auditory Perceptual Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D029798:Blueberry Plants / Q000737:chemistry; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005526:Food, Formulated; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
D000975:Antioxidants