What this means
Researchers studied brain cells in mice of different ages, looking at cell numbers, branches, and receptors. Because this was done in mice, it does not show what happens in people.
Plain-English summary written by an AI model from the abstract. The original is below.
- Who it was tested in
- Mice at 3, 9, and 16 months old
- Kind of research
- Research in animals or cells
The science
- Original title
- Age-Related Changes in Density, Arborization, and NMDA Receptor Expression in Somatostatin Interneurons of the Mouse mPFC.
- Authors
- Sánchez-Moreno B, Gramuntell Y, Klimczak P et al.
- Journal
- The Journal of comparative neurology
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
- Study type
- Lab or animal study · indexed as animal research
- PMID
- 42876423 ↗
Abstract
Aging is associated with progressive alterations in cortical circuits that compromise cognitive function. Somatostatin-positive (SST+) Martinotti interneurons, which regulate pyramidal cell activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), are particularly relevant for inhibitory control, yet their age-related vulnerability remains poorly understood. Here, we examined GFP-labeled SST+ interneurons in mice at 3, 9, and 16 months of age, focusing on neuronal density, dendritic arborization, and expression of NMDA receptor subunits GluN1 and GluN2B. Our findings reveal a significant decline in SST+ interneuron density in aged male mice, whereas female mice displayed an increase in dendritic arborization with age. Analysis of NMDA receptor puncta showed a reduction in GluN1 and GluN2B density with increased puncta size in older animals. Together, these findings reveal age- and sex-dependent structural and molecular remodeling of SST+ interneurons in the mPFC.
Sánchez-Moreno B, Gramuntell Y, Klimczak P et al. Age-Related Changes in Density, Arborization, and NMDA Receptor Expression in Somatostatin Interneurons of the Mouse mPFC. The Journal of comparative neurology. 2026. doi:10.1002/cne.70217. PMID: 42876423. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42876423/