Miniature inhibitory postsynaptic current in cerebellar Purkinje cells of old dystrophic mdx mice

![CDATA[Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by the mutations in the X-linked dystrophin gene resulting in a deficiency in the protein dystrophin. About 1/3 of boys with DMD display some degree of cognitive impairments (Cotton et al., 2001). In the cerebellum, dystrophin is normally localized at the postsynaptic membrane of GABAergic synapses of Purkinje cells. Previously, we showed a significant reduction in both the frequency and amplitude of miniature inhibitory postsynaptic current (mIPSCs) in cerebellar Purkinje cells of adult (3-4 months old) mdx compared with littermate control (Kueh et al., 2011; Kueh et al., 2008). Here, we investigated the mIPSCs of young (3-4 months old) and old mdx mice (23-26 months old). These aging mice were chosen because earlier reports showed both muscle and brain degenerative progression in old mdx mice resembles those found in DMD patients (Pastoret & Sebille, 1995; Rae et al., 1998).]]