Age-related differences in perception and coding of attractive odorants in mice

• DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2024.02.003
• Publication Date: 2024-02-15T05:22:26Z
• Authors: Laura Chalençon; Maëllie Midroit; Anna Athanassi; Marc Thevenet; Marine Breton; Jérémy Forest; Marion Richard; Anne Didier; Nathalie Mandairon
• Keywords: Smell; Mice; Odorants; Quality of Life; Humans; Animals; Olfactory Perception; Olfactory Bulb; Aged

Hedonic perception deeply changes with aging, significantly impacting health and quality of life in elderly. In young adult mice, an odor hedonic signature is represented along the antero-posterior axis olfactory bulb, transferred to tubercle ventral tegmental area, promoting approach behavior. Here, we show that while unattractive odorants was unchanged older mice (22 months), appreciation some but not all attractive declined. Neural activity bulb consistently altered when attraction pleasant impaired maintained kept their attractivity. Finally, a self-stimulation paradigm, optogenetic stimulation remained rewarding even without area's response stimulation. Aging degrades behavioral neural responses properties persisted, providing new insights into developing novel training strategies elicit motivation dopaminergic system as observed normal and/or neurodegenerative aging.