Long-term potentiation and the ageing brain

Ageing is associated with learning and memory impairments. Data are reviewed that suggest that age-related impairments of hippocampal-dependent forms of memory, may be caused, in part, by altered synaptic plasticity mechanisms in the hippocampus, including long-term potentiation (LTP). To the extent that the mechanisms responsible for LTP can be understood, it may be possible to develop therapeutic approaches to alleviate memory decline in normal ageing.