scholarly journals The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis

2019 ◽  
Vol 99 (4) ◽  
pp. 1877-2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
John F. Cryan ◽  
Kenneth J. O'Riordan ◽  
Caitlin S. M. Cowan ◽  
Kiran V. Sandhu ◽  
Thomaz F. S. Bastiaanssen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Function ◽  
Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽  
Physiological Basis ◽  
The Past ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Neural Processes ◽  
Mode Of Birth ◽  
Branched Chain ◽  
Infection Mode ◽  
The Brain

The importance of the gut-brain axis in maintaining homeostasis has long been appreciated. However, the past 15 yr have seen the emergence of the microbiota (the trillions of microorganisms within and on our bodies) as one of the key regulators of gut-brain function and has led to the appreciation of the importance of a distinct microbiota-gut-brain axis. This axis is gaining ever more traction in fields investigating the biological and physiological basis of psychiatric, neurodevelopmental, age-related, and neurodegenerative disorders. The microbiota and the brain communicate with each other via various routes including the immune system, tryptophan metabolism, the vagus nerve and the enteric nervous system, involving microbial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, branched chain amino acids, and peptidoglycans. Many factors can influence microbiota composition in early life, including infection, mode of birth delivery, use of antibiotic medications, the nature of nutritional provision, environmental stressors, and host genetics. At the other extreme of life, microbial diversity diminishes with aging. Stress, in particular, can significantly impact the microbiota-gut-brain axis at all stages of life. Much recent work has implicated the gut microbiota in many conditions including autism, anxiety, obesity, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Animal models have been paramount in linking the regulation of fundamental neural processes, such as neurogenesis and myelination, to microbiome activation of microglia. Moreover, translational human studies are ongoing and will greatly enhance the field. Future studies will focus on understanding the mechanisms underlying the microbiota-gut-brain axis and attempt to elucidate microbial-based intervention and therapeutic strategies for neuropsychiatric disorders.

scholarly journals Evidence of the Role of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Brain Glucose Metabolism

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1382
Author(s):  
Fabien Pifferi ◽  
Stephen C. Cunnane ◽  
Philippe Guesnet
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Glucose Metabolism ◽  
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Brain Glucose ◽  
Brain Glucose Metabolism ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Brain

In mammals, brain function, particularly neuronal activity, has high energy needs. When glucose is supplemented by alternative oxidative substrates under different physiological conditions, these fuels do not fully replace the functions fulfilled by glucose. Thus, it is of major importance that the brain is almost continuously supplied with glucose from the circulation. Numerous studies describe the decrease in brain glucose metabolism during healthy or pathological ageing, but little is known about the mechanisms that cause such impairment. Although it appears difficult to determine the exact role of brain glucose hypometabolism during healthy ageing or during age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, uninterrupted glucose supply to the brain is still of major importance for proper brain function. Interestingly, a body of evidence suggests that dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) might play significant roles in brain glucose regulation. Thus, the goal of the present review is to summarize this evidence and address the role of n-3 PUFAs in brain energy metabolism. Taken together, these data suggest that ensuring an adequate dietary supply of n-3 PUFAs could constitute an essential aspect of a promising strategy to promote optimal brain function during both healthy and pathological ageing.

scholarly journals Impaired Mitophagy in Neurons and Glial Cells during Aging and Age-Related Disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (19) ◽  
pp. 10251
Author(s):  
Vladimir Sukhorukov ◽  
Dmitry Voronkov ◽  
Tatiana Baranich ◽  
Natalia Mudzhiri ◽  
Alina Magnaeva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Glial Cells ◽  
Brain Aging ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
The Past ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Accumulation Of Damage ◽  
Quantity Control ◽  
The Brain

Aging is associated with a decline in cognitive function, which can partly be explained by the accumulation of damage to the brain cells over time. Neurons and glia undergo morphological and ultrastructure changes during aging. Over the past several years, it has become evident that at the cellular level, various hallmarks of an aging brain are closely related to mitophagy. The importance of mitochondria quality and quantity control through mitophagy is highlighted by the contribution that defects in mitochondria–autophagy crosstalk make to aging and age-related diseases. In this review, we analyze some of the more recent findings regarding the study of brain aging and neurodegeneration in the context of mitophagy. We discuss the data on the dynamics of selective autophagy in neurons and glial cells during aging and in the course of neurodegeneration, focusing on three mechanisms of mitophagy: non-receptor-mediated mitophagy, receptor-mediated mitophagy, and transcellular mitophagy. We review the role of mitophagy in neuronal/glial homeostasis and in the molecular pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other disorders. Common mechanisms of aging and neurodegeneration that are related to different mitophagy pathways provide a number of promising targets for potential therapeutic agents.

scholarly journals Studies of Altered Social Cognition in Neuropsychiatric Disorders Using Functional Neuroimaging

2002 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 327-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl L Grady ◽  
Michelle L Keightley
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Functional Neuroimaging ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Disorders ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
The Past ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Social Abilities ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Self Reference

In this paper, we review studies using functional neuroimaging to examine cognition in neuropsychiatric disorders. The focus is on social cognition, which is a topic that has received increasing attention over the past few years. A network of brain regions is proposed for social cognition that includes regions involved in processes relevant to social functioning (for example, self reference and emotion). We discuss the alterations of activity in these areas in patients with autism, depression, schizophrenia, and posttraumatic stress disorder in relation to deficits in social behaviour and symptoms. The evidence to date suggests that there may be some specificity of the brain regions involved in these 4 disorders, but all are associated with dysfunction in the amygdala and dorsal cingulate gyrus. Although there is much work remaining in this area, we are beginning to understand the complex interactions of brain function and behaviour that lead to disruptions of social abilities.

Nutrition during early childhood years and a risk of mental diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 20-26
Author(s):  
O.K. Netrebenko ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Development ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Critical Period ◽  
Statistical Data ◽  
Neuropsychological Disorders ◽  
The Past ◽  
Expression Of Genes ◽  
Mental Diseases ◽  
Development Processes ◽  
The Brain

At present, the prevalence of mental disorders among children and adults is growing rapidly. For example, according to statistical data, the prevalence rates of all mental diseases in Russia have grown by 10 times during the past 45 years. Apparently, one of the causes might be impairment of the processes of normal programming of metabolic and brain function, which occurs during the critical period of the first 1000 days of life. Any imbalances in the environment and nutrition in that period might change the function of genes responsible for production of neurotransmitters, neurotrophic factors, and other molecules involved in synaptogenesis, dendritic synthesis. A factor influencing the brain development processes that is most accessible for modification is nutrition. Nutrition of a pregnant woman and baby, as well as the state of intestinal microbiota, influence the expression of genes important for an adequate brain development. Key words: nutrition, brain development, neuropsychological disorders

scholarly journals Linoleic acid–good or bad for the brain?

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ameer Y. Taha
Keyword(s):  
Linoleic Acid ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Clinical Evidence ◽  
Corn Oil ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
The Past ◽  
Omega 6 ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The Brain

AbstractIncreased intake of omega-6 rich plant oils such as soybean and corn oil over the past few decades has inadvertently tripled the amount of n-6 linoleic acid (LA, 18:2n-6) in the diet. Although LA is nutritionally “essential”, very little is known about how it affects the brain when present in excess. This review provides an overview on the metabolism of LA by the brain and the effects of excess dietary LA intake on brain function. Pre-clinical evidence suggests that excess dietary LA increases the brain’s vulnerability to inflammation and likely acts via its oxidized metabolites. In humans, excess maternal LA intake has been linked to atypical neurodevelopment, but underlying mechanisms are unknown. It is concluded that excess dietary LA may adversely affect the brain. The potential neuroprotective role of reducing dietary LA merits clinical evaluation in future studies.

scholarly journals Functional Connectivity in Aging

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franziskus Liem ◽  
Linda Geerligs ◽  
Jessica S. Damoiseaux ◽  
Daniel S. Margulies
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Brain Organization ◽  
The Past ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

A large body of research shows that aging is accompanied by localized changes in brain structure and function. However, over the past decade the neuroimaging community has begun to recognize the importance of investigating the brain as a network. Brain regions don’t function independently, rather they form an expansive network that allows for communication between distant areas and enables complex cognitive functioning. Hence, age-related changes in the network structure might explain changes in cognitive functioning.Characterizing this network by investigating the brain’s functional connectivity has enabled new insights into brain organization. In this chapter, we will outline how the brain’s functional connectivity is affected by aging and how changes in functional connectivity relate to changes in cognitive functioning. We will address how neurodegenerative pathology influences functional connectivity and how, based on these measurements, biomarkers for clinical outcome might be developed in the future.

scholarly journals Emergence and organization of adult brain function throughout child development

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tristan S. Yates ◽  
Cameron T. Ellis ◽  
Nicholas B. Turk-Browne
Keyword(s):  
Human Brain ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Adult Brain ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Data Driven Approach ◽  
The Brain

AbstractAdult cognitive neuroscience has guided the study of human brain development by identifying regions associated with cognitive functions at maturity. The activity, connectivity, and structure of a region can be compared across ages to characterize the developmental trajectory of the corresponding function. However, observed developmental differences may not only reflect the maturation of the function but also its organization across the brain. That is, a function may be mature in children but supported by different brain regions and thus underestimated by focusing on adult regions. To test these possibilities, we investigated the presence, maturity, and localization of adult functions in children using probabilistic shared response modeling, a machine learning approach for functional alignment. After learning a lower-dimensional feature space from fMRI activity as adults watched a movie, we translated these shared features into the anatomical brain space of children 3–12 years old. To evaluate functional maturity, we correlated this reconstructed activity with the children’s actual fMRI activity as they watched the same movie. We found reliable correlations throughout cortex, even in the youngest children. The strength of the correlation in the precuneus, inferior frontal gyrus, and lateral occipital cortex increased over development and predicted chronological age. These age-related changes were driven by three types of developmental trajectories across distinct features of adult function: emergence from absence to presence, consistency in anatomical expression, and reorganization from one anatomical region to another. This data-driven approach to studying brain-wide function during naturalistic perception provides an abstract description of cognitive development throughout childhood.Significance StatementWhen watching a movie, your brain processes many types of information—plotlines, characters, locations, etc. A child watching this movie receives the same input, but some of their cognitive abilities (e.g., motion detection) are more developed than others (e.g., emotional reasoning). Beyond anatomical differences, when does the child brain begin to function like an adult brain? We used a data-driven approach to extract different aspects of brain activity from adults while they watched a movie during fMRI. We then predicted what the brain activity of a child would look like if they had processed the movie the same way. Comparing this prediction with actual brain activity from children allowed us to track the development of human brain function.

Advances in Our Understanding of the Pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s Disease

US Neurology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 06 (01) ◽  
pp. 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim N Green ◽  
Steven S Schreiber ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Symptomatic Relief ◽  
Neuronal Loss ◽  
Current Understanding ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Disease Modification ◽  
The Past ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Us ◽  
Alois Alzheimer ◽  
The Brain

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common age-related dementia, currently affecting more than 5 million patients in the US alone, and is characterized by the presence of both extracellular plaques and intraneuronal tangles in the brain of a patient with dementia. Alois Alzheimer first described the pathology associated with the disease over 100 years ago, and during the past three decades our understanding of the disease and of potential ways to treat it has increased tremendously. In this article we describe our current understanding of both the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease and current and future therapeutic interventions, including symptomatic relief, disease modification, and the reversal of synaptic and neuronal loss.

scholarly journals Are The 50’s, The Transition Decade in Choroid Plexus Aging?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joana Almeida Palha ◽  
Ana Tahira ◽  
Fernanda Marques ◽  
Bianca Lisboa ◽  
AS Feltrin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Choroid Plexus ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Healthy Humans ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Axon Development ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
The Brain ◽  
With Memory ◽  
Important Structure

Abstract Background: The choroid plexus (CP) is an important structure for the brain. Besides its major role in the production of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), it conveys signals originating from the brain and from the circulation, therefore shaping brain function in health and in pathology. In accordance, previous studies in rodents revealed altered transcriptome during aging and in various diseases of the central nervous system including Alzheimer’s disease. Methods: In the present study we performed a high-throughput sequencing of the CP transcriptome in clinically healthy humans throughout aging, from the ages of 50’s years into the 80's. Results: The date shows an age-related profile, with the main changes occurring in the transition from the 50 ́s to the 60’s, stabilizing thereafter. Specifically, neuronal and membrane functions distinguish the transcriptome between the 50’s and the 60’s, while neuronal and axon development and extracellular structure organization differentiate the 50’s from the 70’s. Conclusions: These findings suggest that changes in the CP transcriptome occur early in the aging process and may precede later onset brain disabilities, associated with memory and cognitive impairment.

Nutrient control of brain neurotransmitter synthesis and function

1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 271-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Harvey Anderson ◽  
Janice L. Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Brain Function ◽  
Brain Metabolism ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Feedback Systems ◽  
The Past ◽  
Brain Neurotransmitter ◽  
And Function ◽  
Neurotransmitter Precursors ◽  
To Receive ◽  
The Brain

The significance of normal variations in dietary and plasma nutrient content to brain metabolism and function began to receive examination in the past decade. It is now clear that the brain is much more sensitive to variations in nutrient supply than previously thought. Indeed, it seems likely that the diet-induced plasma fluctuations in nutrients, either as a result of their cofactor roles or as neurotransmitter precursors, are important components of feedback systems assisting the brain in controlling many of its functions. This discovery has suggested new approaches to understanding mechanisms controlling brain function and to treatment of diseases of the brain.

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