Mitigation of aging-related plasticity decline through taurine supplementation and environmental enrichment

Abstract

Aging-related biochemical changes in nerve cells lead to dysfunctional synapses and disrupted neuronal circuits, ultimately affecting vital processes such as brain plasticity, learning, and memory. The imbalance between excitation and inhibition in synaptic function during aging contributes to cognitive impairment, emphasizing the importance of compensatory mechanisms. Fear conditioning-related plasticity of somatosensory barrel cortex, relying on the proper functioning and extensive upregulation of GABAergic system, in particular interneurons containing somatostatin, is compromised in aging (one-year-old) mice. The present research explores two potential interventions, taurine supplementation and environmental enrichment, revealing their effectiveness in supporting learning-induced plasticity in the aging mouse brain. They do not act through a mechanism normalizing the Glutamate/GABA balance that is disrupted in aging, but they do allow for increase in somatostatin levels, an effect observed in young animals after learning. These findings highlight the potential of lifestyle interventions and diet supplementation to mitigate age-related cognitive decline by promoting experience-dependent plasticity.