title: Morphological changes in nerve cells during normal aging.
abstract: During normal aging, widespread loss of nerve cells does not occur. Neuronal loss is limited to restricted regions of the nervous system and is slight (probably no more than 10%). The commonest age-related structural changes undergone by nerve cells are as follows: dendrites decrease in number and length and many dendritic spines are lost; axons decrease in number and their myelin sheaths may become less compact and undergo segmental demyelination followed by remyelination; and significant loss of synapses occurs. These changes probably make a significant contribution to the behavioral impairment and cognitive decline that often accompany normal aging.
authors: Viale San Michele del Carso 15, 20144 Milan, Italy. ennio.pannese@unimi.it
authors: Ennio
authors: E
authors: Pannese
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D001369:Axons / Q000473:pathology*; D003712:Dendrites / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000473:pathology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000473:pathology*