Digital light micrographs of dendritic spines on a second-order branch in young adult sham-lesioned (top) and 192IgG-saporin-lesioned rats (bottom). Right. Mean spine density on second- (top), third- (middle), and fourth-order (bottom) basilar branches ipsilateral to sham and 192IgG saporin lesions of the NBM in young adult, middle-aged, and aged rats. Vertical bars represent S.E.M. values; asterisks (*) indicate significant difference relative to sham-lesioned rats. NBM lesions significantly increased spine density on second- and third-order branches in young adult but not aging rats.

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