Cortical sensory aging is layer-specific

Abstract

The segregation of processes into cortical layers is a convergent feature in animal evolution. However, how changes in the cortical layer architecture interact with sensory system function and dysfunction remains unclear. We conducted functional and structural layer-specific in-vivo 7T-MRI of the primary somatosensory cortex in two cohorts of healthy younger and older adults. Input layer IV is enlarged and more myelinated in older adults, and associated with extended sensory input signals. Age-related cortical thinning is driven by deep layers, and accompanied by altered functional modulation and preserved inhibition. Calcium imaging and histology in younger and older mice reveal increased sensory-evoked neuronal activity accompanied by increased parvalbumin expression as a potential inhibitory balance, with dynamic changes in layer-specific myelination across age groups. Using multimodal imaging, we demonstrate that middle and deep layers show specific vulnerability to aging across species.