Impact of Locus Coeruleus and Its Projections on Memory and Aging

These observations suggest that although LC projections degrade with age, the degree of degradation is associated with cognitive abilities in older adults. Impact statement Locus coeruleus (LC) modulates several cognitive processes, including modulating arousal, attention modulation, and memory. Sustaining the integrity of LC neurons is hypothesized to play a key role in staving off age-related cognitive decline. However, less is known about how efferent projections of LC change with age or cognition. Here, we examine how age affects the microstructure of the central tegmental tract, a fiber tract in which LC efferent projections are bundled, and whether age-related changes in the microstructure of this tract are associated with cognitive decline.