scholarly journals Linked deterioration of early visual perception, function and structure in healthy human aging

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Fatima Silva ◽  
Ben M Harvey ◽  
Lília Jorge ◽  
Nádia Canário ◽  
Fátima Machado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Acuity ◽  
Visual Field ◽  
Visual Perception ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Healthy Human ◽  
Cortical Structure ◽  
Surface Areas ◽  
Structural Deterioration ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Retinal Structure

SummaryLow-level visual perception deteriorates during healthy aging. We hypothesized that age-related retinal and cortical structure deteriorations affect perception through specific disruptions of neural function. We measured perceptual visual acuity in fifty healthy adults aged 20-80 years. We then measured these participants’ early visual field map (V1, V2 and V3) functional population receptive field (pRF) sizes and structural surface areas using fMRI, and their retinal structure using high-definition optical coherence tomography. With increasing age visual acuity decreased, pRF sizes increased, visual field maps surface areas decreased, and retinal thickness decreased. Among these measures, only functional pRF sizes predicted perceptual visual acuity. PRF sizes were in turn predicted by cortical structure only (surface areas), which were only predicted by retinal structure (thickness). We propose that age-related retinal structural deterioration disrupts cortical structure, thereby disrupting cortical functional neural interactions that normally sharpen visual position selectivity: the resulting functional disruption underlies age-related perceptual deterioration.

scholarly journals Simultaneous changes in visual acuity, cortical population receptive field size, visual field map size, and retinal thickness in healthy human aging

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Fatima Silva ◽  
Ben M. Harvey ◽  
Lília Jorge ◽  
Nádia Canário ◽  
Fátima Machado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Acuity ◽  
Visual Field ◽  
Receptive Field ◽  
Retinal Thickness ◽  
Field Size ◽  
Human Aging ◽  
Healthy Human ◽  
Field Representation ◽  
Surface Areas ◽  
Retinal Structure

AbstractHealthy human aging is associated with a deterioration of visual acuity, retinal thinning, visual field map shrinkage and increasing population receptive field sizes. Here we ask how these changes are related to each other in a cross-sectional sample of fifty healthy adults aged 20–80 years. We hypothesized that age-related loss of macular retinal ganglion cells may lead to decreased visual field map sizes, and both may lead to increased pRF sizes in the cortical central visual field representation. We measured our participants’ perceptual corrected visual acuity using standard ophthalmological letter charts. We then measured their early visual field map (V1, V2 and V3) functional population receptive field (pRF) sizes and structural surface areas using fMRI, and their retinal structure using high-definition optical coherence tomography. With increasing age visual acuity decreased, pRF sizes increased, visual field maps surface areas (but not whole-brain surface areas) decreased, and retinal thickness decreased. Among these measures, only functional pRF sizes predicted perceptual visual acuity, and Bayesian statistics support a null relationship between visual acuity and cortical or retinal structure. However, pRF sizes were in turn predicted by cortical structure only (visual field map surface areas), which were only predicted by retinal structure (thickness). These results suggest that simultaneous disruptions of neural structure and function throughout the early visual system may underlie the deterioration of perceptual visual acuity in healthy aging.

scholarly journals Linked changes in visual acuity, cortical population receptive field size, visual field map size, and retinal thickness in healthy human aging

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Fatima Silva ◽  
Ben Harvey ◽  
Lília Jorge ◽  
Nádia Canário ◽  
Fátima Machado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Acuity ◽  
Visual Field ◽  
Receptive Field ◽  
Retinal Thickness ◽  
Field Size ◽  
Human Aging ◽  
Healthy Human ◽  
Field Representation ◽  
Surface Areas ◽  
Retinal Structure

Abstract Healthy human aging is associated with a deterioration of visual acuity, retinal thinning, visual field map shrinkage and increasing population receptive field sizes. Here we ask how these changes are related to each other in a cross-sectional sample of fifty healthy adults aged 20-80 years. We therefore hypothesized that age-related loss of macular retinal ganglion cells may lead to decreased visual field map sizes, and both may lead to increased pRF sizes in the cortical central visual field representation. We measured our participants’ perceptual corrected visual acuity using standard ophthalmological letter charts. We then measured their early visual field map (V1, V2 and V3) functional population receptive field (pRF) sizes and structural surface areas using fMRI, and their retinal structure using high-definition optical coherence tomography. With increasing age visual acuity decreased, pRF sizes increased, visual field maps surface areas decreased, and retinal thickness decreased. Among these measures, only functional pRF sizes predicted perceptual visual acuity, and Bayesian statistics support a null relationship between visual acuity and cortical or retinal structure. However, pRF sizes were in turn predicted by cortical structure only (visual field map surface areas), which were only predicted by retinal structure (thickness). These results suggest that linked disruptions of neural structure and function throughout the early visual system underlie the deterioration of perceptual visual acuity in healthy aging.

A metabolomic aging clock using human CSF

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Hwangbo ◽  
Xinyu Zhang ◽  
Daniel Raftery ◽  
Haiwei Gu ◽  
Shu-Ching Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Prediction Models ◽  
Mass Spectrometry Analysis ◽  
Chronological Age ◽  
Healthy Human ◽  
Missing Data Imputation ◽  
Spectrometry Analysis ◽  
Residual Variation ◽  
Age Related

Abstract Quantifying the physiology of aging is essential for improving our understanding of age-related disease and the heterogeneity of healthy aging. Recent studies have shown that in regression models using “-omic” platforms to predict chronological age, residual variation in predicted age is correlated with health outcomes, and suggest that these “omic clocks” provide measures of biological age. This paper presents predictive models for age using metabolomic profiles of cerebrospinal fluid from healthy human subjects, and finds that metabolite and lipid data are generally able to predict chronological age within 10 years. We use these models to predict the age of a cohort of subjects with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and find an increase in prediction error, potentially indicating that the relationship between the metabolome and chronological age differs with these diseases. However, evidence is not found to support the hypothesis that our models will consistently over-predict the age of these subjects. In our analysis of control subjects, we find the carnitine shuttle, sucrose, biopterin, vitamin E metabolism, tryptophan, and tyrosine to be the most associated with age. We showcase the potential usefulness of age prediction models in a small dataset (n = 85), and discuss techniques for drift correction, missing data imputation, and regularized regression, which can be used to help mitigate the statistical challenges that commonly arise in this setting. To our knowledge, this work presents the first multivariate predictive metabolomic and lipidomic models for age using mass spectrometry analysis of cerebrospinal fluid.

Neuro-ophthalmology: Disorders of Visual Perception, Pupils, and Eyelids

2021 ◽  
pp. 821-833
Author(s):  
Shivram Kumar ◽  
Kelly D. Flemming
Keyword(s):  
Visual Acuity ◽  
Visual Field ◽  
Visual Perception ◽  
Visual Loss ◽  
Visual Field Defects ◽  
Clinical Disorders ◽  
Physical Findings ◽  
Abnormal Visual ◽  
Visual Changes ◽  
Field Defects

Visual loss may develop acutely, subacutely, or insidiously. The course may be transient, static, or progressive. This chapter reviews the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of various disorders resulting in visual loss or abnormal visual perception. In addition, it reviews clinical disorders of the eyelids and pupils. Disorders of visual perception involve visual acuity, color perception, visual field defects, and other visual changes. Historical information and physical findings on examination can help to localize the problem and define the cause.

scholarly journals Resveratrol: A Sirtuin Activator and The Fountain of Youth

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Meiliana ◽  
Nurrani Mustika Dewi ◽  
Andi Wijaya
Keyword(s):  
Caloric Restriction ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Myocardial Infarct ◽  
Functional Decline ◽  
Steady Increase ◽  
Healthy Human ◽  
Aging Research ◽  
Human Lifespan ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Fountain Of Youth

BACKGROUND: An organism’s lifespan is inevitably accompanied by the aging process, which involves functional decline, a steady increase of a plethora of chronic diseases, and ultimately death. Thus, it has been an ongoing dream of mankind to improve healthspan and extend life.CONTENT: There are only a few proposed aging interventions: caloric restriction, exercise, and the use of low-molecular-weight compounds, including spermidine, metformin, resveratrol, and rapamycin. Resveratrol, a constituent of red wine, has long been suspected to have cardioprotective effects. Interest in this compound has been renewed in recent years, first from its identification as a chemopreventive agent for skin cancer, and subsequently from reports that it activates sirtuin deacetylases and extends the lifespans of lower organisms. Resveratrol have been shown to prevent and reduce the severity of age-related diseases such as atherosclerosis, stroke, myocardial infarct, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, osteoarthritis, tumors and metabolic syndrome, along with their ability to extend lifespan.SUMMARY: The purpose of aging research is the identification of interventions that may avoid or ameliorate the ravages of time. In other words, the quest is for healthy aging, where improved longevity is coupled to a corresponding healthspan extension. It is only by extending the healthy human lifespan that we will truly meet the premise of the Roman poet Cicero: “No one is so old as to think that he may not live a year.”KEYWORDS: aging, caloric restriction, mimetic, healthspan, sirtuin activator

The Association of Psychological Well-Being With Sensory and Cognitive Function and Neuronal Health in Aging Adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 089826432110468
Author(s):  
Natascha Merten ◽  
Aaron Alex Pinto ◽  
Adam J Paulsen ◽  
Yanjun Chen ◽  
Lauren K Dillard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Acuity ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Contrast Sensitivity ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Olfactory Impairment

Objectives Psychological well-being (PWB) may be a potential modifiable risk factor of age-related diseases. We aimed to determine associations of PWB with sensorineural and cognitive function and neuronal health in middle-aged adults. Methods This study included 2039 Beaver Dam Offspring Study participants. We assessed PWB, hearing, visual acuity, contrast sensitivity impairment, olfactory impairment, cognition, and retinal (macular ganglion cell inner-plexiform layer, mGCIPL) thickness. Age-sex-education-adjusted multivariable linear, logistic regression, and generalized estimating equation models were used and then further adjusted for health-related confounders. Results Individuals with higher PWB had better hearing functions, visual acuity, and thicker mGCIPL and reduced odds for hearing, contrast sensitivity and olfactory impairment in age-sex-education-adjusted models. Effects on mGCIPL and visual and olfactory measures decreased with adjustment. Higher PWB was associated with better cognition, better combined sensorineural-cognitive function, and decreased cognitive impairment. Discussion Psychological well-being was associated with sensorineural-cognitive health indicating a potential of PWB interventions for healthy aging.

scholarly journals Exploratory Study on Visual Acuity and Patient-Perceived Visual Function in Patients with Subretinal Drusenoid Deposits

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 2832
Author(s):  
Manjot K. Grewal ◽  
Shruti Chandra ◽  
Sarega Gurudas ◽  
Alan Bird ◽  
Glen Jeffery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Acuity ◽  
Disease Severity ◽  
Visual Function ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Geographic Atrophy ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Function Tests ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Low Luminance ◽  
Subretinal Drusenoid Deposits

Purpose: To investigate the value of visual acuity and patient-perceived visual function test when subretinal drusenoid deposits (SDD) are incorporated into the classification of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A total of 50 participants were recruited into the study in these groups: healthy ageing (n = 11), intermediate AMD (iAMD) with no SDD (n = 17), iAMD with SDD (n = 11) and non-foveal atrophic AMD (n = 11) confirmed by two retinal imaging modalities. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and low luminance visual acuity (LLVA) were measured and low luminance deficit (LLD) was calculated. Participants were also interviewed with the low luminance questionnaire (LLQ). Linear regression was used to assess function–function relations. Compared with healthy participants, BCVA and LLVA scores were significantly reduced in the atrophic AMD group (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.00016, respectively) and in patients with SDD (p = 0.028 and p = 0.045, respectively). Participants with atrophy also had reduced BCVA (p = 0.001) and LLVA (p = 0.009) compared with the iAMD no SDD group. However, there were no differences in visual function tests between healthy aging and iAMD without SDD and between iAMD with SDD and atrophic AMD groups. The LLD score did not differ between groups. BCVA and LLVA correlated well. The LLQ did not correlate with visual function tests. This study shows that LLD is not a marker of disease severity as assessed clinically. Although LLQ is a good marker for disease severity using the current AMD classification, it does not differentiate between eyes with and without SDD. Eyes with non-macular geographic atrophy and SDD had lower function than eyes with no SDD and healthy controls.

scholarly journals THE LONGEVITY CONSORTIUM VISION

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S208-S209
Author(s):  
Daniel S Evans ◽  
Daniel S Evans ◽  
Steven R Cummings ◽  
Nicholas Schork
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Human Longevity ◽  
Cooperative Research ◽  
Healthy Human ◽  
Molecular Features ◽  
Human Lifespan ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Show Evidence ◽  
Funding Opportunities ◽  
Multiple Chronic Diseases

Abstract Molecular factors and pathways promoting human longevity and healthy aging can potentially delay or prevent multiple chronic diseases and conditions, but identifying such factors that can be pharmacologically targeted requires an integrated multidisciplinary approach. We describe the design of the five research projects and three cores of the Longevity Consortium (LC) and how their cooperative research is designed to discover molecular factors and pathways that can predict healthy human aging and longevity, associate with extreme human lifespan, show relevance to chronic age-related conditions, respond to interventions to slow aging in mice, and show evidence for association with lifespan across species. A systems biology approach is undertaken to identify common molecular features across human traits and organisms, and a chemoinformatics approach to link molecular targets to candidate healthy aging interventions. The LC results are made publicly available and we provide funding opportunities to the scientific community to support pilot projects.

scholarly journals An aging clock using metabolomic CSF

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Hwangbo ◽  
Xinyu Zhang ◽  
Daniel Raftery ◽  
Haiwei Gu ◽  
Shu-Ching Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Prediction Models ◽  
Mass Spectrometry Analysis ◽  
Chronological Age ◽  
Healthy Human ◽  
Missing Data Imputation ◽  
Spectrometry Analysis ◽  
Residual Variation ◽  
Age Related

Quantifying the physiology of aging is essential for improving our understanding of age-related disease and the heterogeneity of healthy aging. Recent studies have shown that in regression models using "-omic" platforms to predict chronological age, residual variation in predicted age is correlated with health outcomes, and suggest that these "omic clocks" provide measures of biological age. This paper presents predictive models for age using metabolomic profiles of cerebrospinal fluid from healthy human subjects, and finds that metabolite and lipid data are generally able to predict chronological age within 10 years. We use these models to predict the age of a cohort of subjects with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and find an increase in prediction error, potentially indicating that the relationship between the metabolome and chronological age differs with these diseases. In our analysis of control subjects, we find the carnitine shuttle, sucrose, biopterin, vitamin E metabolism, tryptophan, and tyrosine to be the most associated with age. We showcase the potential usefulness of age prediction models in a small dataset (n = 85), and discuss techniques for drift correction, missing data imputation, and regularized regression which can be used to help mitigate the statistical challenges that commonly arise in this setting. To our knowledge, this work presents the first multivariate predictive metabolomic and lipidomic models for age using mass spectrometry analysis of cerebrospinal fluid.

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