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Hair cell numbers do not decrease in the crista ampullaris of geriatric gerbils
Author(s) -
Kevetter Golda Anne,
Zimmerman Cindy Lou,
Leonard Robert B.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of neuroscience research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.72
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1097-4547
pISSN - 0360-4012
DOI - 10.1002/jnr.20451
Subject(s) - crista , vestibular system , hair cell , population , anatomy , biology , inner ear , medicine , audiology , microbiology and biotechnology , environmental health , mitochondrion
Among the geriatric population, dizziness and falling are serious problems. One system involved in balance that may change with age is the vestibular system. A common assertion is that the number of vestibular hair cells decreases as age increases. Our goal was to quantitate the number of hair cells in young and old gerbils and document the decrease. We used physical dissector design‐based stereological procedures on serial 2‐μm sections through the crista ampullaris. Between young and aged gerbils, there were no quantitative differences in the number, density, or types of hair cells or the length of the crista ampullaris. This lack of change in the number of hair cells suggests that the cause for vestibular dysfunction during aging must lie elsewhere. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.