The Ageing Hippocampus

This chapter reviews alterations observed in the hippocampus during normative ageing in the absence of pathology. Topics include discussions of age-related spatial memory deficits across mammalian species, as well as neuroanatomical, biophysical, and electrophysiological changes observed in the aged hippocampus. Further, the impact that these changes might have on plasticity mechanisms and dynamic processes such as gene expression and epigenetic modifications over the lifespan is discussed. Special emphasis is given to the fact that normative ageing is distinct from neuropathological states such as Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, this overview highlights how the study of normal ageing in the hippocampus has furthered the understanding of the specificity of pathological processes as well as presented possible avenues for the development of interventions, treatments, or therapeutic strategies for optimizing cognition during the normal life course.