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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Oct 1.
Published in final edited form as: Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2013 Jul 18;105:10.1016/j.nlm.2013.07.008. doi: 10.1016/j.nlm.2013.07.008

Figure 3. Normal aging leads to aberrant intrinsic plasticity.

Figure 3

A, Aging results in extinction deficits. Mean freezing on the first trial of extinction day 1 does not differ as a function of age indicating no differences in acquisition and consolidation of trace fear conditioning across age-groups. Adult rats exhibit a significant decrease in freezing across 3 days of extinction indicating successful extinction relative to both middle-aged and aged rats. (Ed1, Ed2 and Ed3 refer to percent freezing on the first trial of extinction days 1, 2 and 3 respectively). B, Plot and representative traces illustrate that the mean number of spikes (excitability) evoked by increasing current steps decreases in infralimbic cortex regular spiking neurons from middle-aged and aged rats compared to adult rats. Scale 20mV, 100ms. * p < 0.05. Adapted fromKaczorowski et al. (2012) with permission.