Memory and Executive Function in the Aging Brain

Call for Papers

Advances in modern medicine have led to an increase in the number of individuals living to advanced ages. With this increased lifespan, there is an increased risk of cognitive decline, dementia, and neurodegenerative diseases. Decline in memory processing and executive functioning are hallmarks of age-related neural dysfunction. The mechanisms associated with this loss of function may also contribute to etiologies of psychiatric disorders that also increase in prevalence with advanced age and lead to decreased quality of life. With a better understanding of the neurobiology of plasticity within the aged brain, we will be better equipped to identify the critical determinants of cognitive decline and to develop effective interventions for the prevention and treatment of age-related cognitive disorders.

Because aging impacts cognition and plasticity though myriad pathways (e.g., neurochemical, structural, genetic), we invite researchers to submit articles that will stimulate a bridging of cognitive and molecular neuroscience as they pertain to age-related plasticity. Manuscripts dealing with the healthy or the typically aging brain are particularly encouraged. Reports of original research and reviews of the current literature regarding the dynamic relationship between aging, plasticity, and cognition are all welcome. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Systems' level analysis of age-related memory impairments using imaging, behavioral, or molecular approaches (e.g., alterations in cortico-hippocampal interactions during learning and memory and/or executive function)
• Characterization of neuroanatomical changes in the aged brain associated with altered plasticity
• Age-related changes in neurotransmitter signaling, downstream intracellular signaling pathways, or regulation of gene expression as they pertain to alterations in plasticity and cognition
• Studies examining the relationship between plasticity, cognitive impairments, and related psychiatric disorders in humans or animal models

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/np/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable:

Lead Guest Editor

• Pepe J. Hernandez, Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Guest Editors

• Kristy A. Nielson, Department of Psychology, Marquette University, P. O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881, USA
• Jennifer L. Bizon, Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA