Age-Related Changes in Neural Noise in a Decision-Making Task

Conference on Cognitive Computational Neuroscience (CCN)

Abstract

Classical theories suggest that age-related cognitive decline may be caused by increased neural noise.To explicitly test this hypothesis in behaving animals, we quantified single-neuron noise (using Fano Factors) in the cortex, hippocampus, and thalamus of young and old mice.Preliminary results suggest that thalamic neurons show higher trial-to-trial variability in old animals.This work will help us to understand alterations of neural function that may contribute to age-related cognitive decline.

Authors 4

1. Fenying Zang Aachen

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University

2. Anup Khanal

   University of California, Los Angeles

   Affiliation as printed

   University of California, Los Angeles

3. Anne K. Churchland

   University of California, Los Angeles · International Brain Laboratory

   Affiliation as printed

   University of California, Los Angeles

   www.internationalbrainlab.com

4. Anne E Urai Aachen

   Leiden University · University of California, Los Angeles

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University

   University of California, Los Angeles