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Evoked Potentials and EEG Suggest CNS Inhibitory Deficits in Aging

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The Effects of Aging and Environment on Vision

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Abstract

The central nervous system (CNS) comprises some fifty billion neurons. From the simplest reflex to the most complex activity, all behavior depends on the special ability of these neurons to communicate with the environment, with other neurons within the nervous system, and with muscles and glands. Communication between neurons is accomplished by electrochemical depolarization at nerve cell membranes that travels along cell processes to trigger the release of chemical neurotransmitters at synaptic clefts. These transmitters drift across the synaptic cleft and attach to receptor sites on the postsynaptic membrane effecting one of two possible changes: depolarization which biases membrane potentials of receiving neurons so that action potentials are more likely to occur (excitation), or hyperpolarization which decreases the likelihood of cell firing (inhibition). At any time, the probability of action potentials depends on the temporal and spatial summation of these excitatory and inhibitory effects. Thus, all behavior is controlled by excitatory and inhibitory neuronal activity and reflects an ongoing and dynamic shifting of the predominance of the two effects [55]. The importance of inhibition within the CNS is eloquently described by McGeer et al. [49, pg 133].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuropsychology Research, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Robert E. Dustman, Donald E. Shearer & Rita Y. Emmerson

  2. Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Robert E. Dustman

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Robert E. Dustman & Rita Y. Emmerson

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  1. Robert E. Dustman
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Technology and Program in Nuclear Medicine Technology, School of Health Related Professions, Faculty of Health Sciences, UB Clinical Center, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA

    Donald Armstrong Ph.D., Dr.Sc. (Professor and Chairman) (Professor and Chairman)

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California, USA

    Michael F. Marmor M.D. (Professor and Chairman) (Professor and Chairman)

  3. Department of Biology, Fisons Pharmaceutical Corporation, Divisional Research and Development, Rochester, New York, USA

    J. Mark Ordy Ph.D. (Senior Principal Investigator) (Senior Principal Investigator)

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Dustman, R.E., Shearer, D.E., Emmerson, R.Y. (1991). Evoked Potentials and EEG Suggest CNS Inhibitory Deficits in Aging. In: Armstrong, D., Marmor, M.F., Ordy, J.M. (eds) The Effects of Aging and Environment on Vision. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3758-8_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3758-8_13

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