scholarly journals Structure and function of the aging brain

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Nathan Spreng ◽  
Gary R. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Brain Aging ◽  
American Psychological Association ◽  
Functional Change ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Adult Lifespan ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Brain Changes ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

In this opening section of the Aging Brain we set the stage for the contributions that follow by providing a broad overview of the latest advances in our understanding of how the brain changes, both structurally and functionally, across the adult lifespan. We leave domain-specific aspects of brain aging to the subsequent chapters, where contributors will provide more targeted accounts of brain change germane to their particular focus on the aging brain. Here we review the extant, and rapidly expanding literature to provide a brief overview and introduction to structural and functional change that occur with typical brain aging. We begin the chapter by looking back, to review some of the early discoveries about how the brain changes across the adult lifespan. We close the chapter by looking forward, towards new discoveries that challenge our core assumptions about the inevitability or irreversibility of age-related brain changes. These sections serve as bookends for the core of the chapter where we review the latest research advances that continue to uncover the mysteries of the aging brain. Spreng, R.N., Turner, G.R. (2019, forthcoming) Structure and function of the aging brain. In G Samanez-Larkin (Ed.) The aging brain. Washington DC: American Psychological Association.

Neuroimaging Approaches for Elderly Studies

2017 ◽  
pp. 1576-1617
Author(s):  
Charis Styliadis ◽  
Panagiotis Kartsidis ◽  
Evangelos Paraskevopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Cognitive Capacity ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Cerebral Structure ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Elderly Populations ◽  
And Function ◽  
Age Related Changes

Advances in the field of neuroimaging have allowed for the examination of the effects of age-related changes on cognitive capacity in elderly populations. Structural techniques are now routinely used to report cortical atrophic rates in aging and particularly within the context of the Alzheimer's disease, and may be integrated with functional techniques which examine the functional characteristics of the cortex at rest and during the performance of a task. Despite advancing age cognitive function remains highly plastic, allowing for interventions that aim to maintain or even remediate its capacity and the mechanisms by which structure and function are altered among seniors. Overall, information on the integrity of the cerebral structure and function aid in the early detection and treatment of the Alzheimer's disease as well as the evaluation and track of the disease's progression. In this chapter, neuroimaging methods are presented along with findings that are particularly relevant for the study of neuroplasticity in the aging brain.

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 The neural economics of brain aging

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob Kosyakovsky
Keyword(s):  
Brain Aging ◽  
Simultaneous Equation ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Human Lifespan ◽  
Linear Simultaneous Equation ◽  
Brain Changes ◽  
Changes Over Time ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Resource Budget

AbstractDespite remarkable advances, research into neurodegeneration and Alzheimer Disease (AD) has nonetheless been dominated by inconsistent and conflicting theory. Basic questions regarding how and why the brain changes over time remain unanswered. In this work, we lay novel foundations for a consistent, integrated view of the aging brain. We develop neural economics—the study of the brain’s infrastructure, brain capital. Using mathematical modeling, we create ABC (Aging Brain Capital), a simple linear simultaneous-equation model that unites aspects of neuroscience, economics, and thermodynamics to explain the rise and fall of brain capital, and thus function, over the human lifespan. Solving and simulating this model, we show that in each of us, the resource budget constraints of our finite brains cause brain capital to reach an upper limit. The thermodynamics of our working brains cause persistent pathologies to inevitably accumulate. With time, the brain becomes damaged causing brain capital to depreciate and decline. Using derivative models, we suggest that this endogenous aging process underpins the pathogenesis and spectrum of neurodegenerative disease. We develop amyloid–tau interaction theory, a paradigm that bridges the unnecessary conflict between amyloid- and tau-centered hypotheses of AD. Finally, we discuss profound implications for therapeutic strategy and development.

scholarly journals Endocannabinoid Signaling for GABAergic-Microglia (Mis)Communication in the Brain Aging

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Carrera ◽  
Jensen Tomberlin ◽  
John Kurtz ◽  
Eda Karakaya ◽  
Mehmet Bostanciklioglu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Communication System ◽  
Brain Aging ◽  
Neuronal Loss ◽  
Endocannabinoid System ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Excessive Activation ◽  
By Products

The aging brain seems to be characterized by neuronal loss leading to cognitive decline and progressively worsening symptoms related to neurodegeneration. Also, pro-inflammatory states, if prolonged, may increase neuronal vulnerability via excessive activation of microglia and their pro-inflammatory by-products, which is seen as individuals increase in age. Consequently, microglial activity is tightly regulated by neuron-microglia communications. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is emerging as a regulator of microglia and the neuronal-microglia communication system. Recently, it has been demonstrated that cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor signaling on GABAergic interneurons plays a crucial role in regulating microglial activity. Interestingly, if endocannabinoid signaling on GABAergic neurons are disturbed, the phenotypes mimic central nervous system insult models by activating microglia and leading to accelerated brain aging. Investigating the endocannabinoid receptors, ligands, and genetic deletions yields the potential to understand the communication system and mechanism by which the ECS regulates glial cells and aspects of aging. While there remains much to discover with the ECS, the information gathered and identified already could lead to the development of cell-specific therapeutic interventions that help in reducing the effects of age-related pro-inflammatory states and neurodegeneration.

scholarly journals The ageing brain: normal and abnormal memory

1997 ◽  
Vol 352 (1362) ◽  
pp. 1703-1709 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Marilyn S. Albert
Keyword(s):  
Older Persons ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Intervention Strategies ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
Dementing Illness ◽  
And Function ◽  
Age Range ◽  
Ageing Brain ◽  
The Brain

With advancing age, the majority of individuals experience declines in their ability to learn and remember. An examination of brain structure and function in healthy older persons across the age range indicates that there are substantial changes in the brain that appear to be related to alterations in memory. The nature of the cognitive and neurobiological alterations associated with age-related change is substantially different from that seen in the early stages of a dementing illness, such as Alzheimer's disease. These differences have implications for potential intervention strategies.

scholarly journals Lynx1 regulates nAChRs to preserve the structure and function of neuromuscular synapses during aging

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sydney V. Doss ◽  
Sébastien Barbat-Artigas ◽  
Tracey Myers ◽  
Bhola Shankar Pradhan ◽  
Tomasz J. Prószyński ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Neuromuscular Junctions ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Neuromuscular Synapses ◽  
Adult Mice ◽  
Homeostatic Synaptic Plasticity ◽  
Age Related ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

AbstractNicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) undergo aberrant changes in diseases and with advancing age that compromise the structure and function of neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). Despite this recognition, the mechanisms that regulate muscle nAChRs remain poorly understood. Here, we ask if Lynx1, shown to regulate nAChRs in the brain, plays a similar role at NMJs. We show that Lynx1 concentrates in the postsynaptic region of NMJs where it modulates the function and stability of nAChRs in young adult mice. However, Lynx1 levels decrease at aged NMJs suggesting roles in synaptic maintenance. Supporting this possibility, deletion of Lynx1 prematurely and progressively increases the incidence of NMJs with age-related features, culminating in the atrophy of muscle fibers. These data show that by promoting homeostatic synaptic plasticity and NMJ remodeling, Lynx1 regulation of nAChRs mitigates age-related damages at NMJs.

scholarly journals Successful brain aging: plasticity, environmental enrichment, and lifestyle

2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-52 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Brain Aging ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
Lifestyle Factors ◽  
Mechanisms Of Action ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Brain

Aging is a physiological process that can develop without the appearance of concurrent diseases. However, very frequently, older people suffer from memory loss and an accelerated cognitive decline. Studies of the neurobiology of aging are beginning to decipher the mechanisms underlying not only the physiology of aging of the brain but also the mechanisms that make people more vulnerable to cognitive dysfunction and neurodegenerative diseases. Today we know that the aging brain retains a considerable functional plasticity, and that this plasticity is positively promoted by genes activated by different lifestyle factors. In this article some of these lifestyle factors and their mechanisms of action are reviewed, including environmental enrichment and the importance of food intake and some nutrients. Aerobic physical exercise and reduction of chronic stress are also briefly reviewed. It is proposed that lifestyle factors are powerful instruments to promote healthy and successful aging of the brain and delay the appearance of age-related cognitive deficits in elderly people.

Neuroimaging Approaches for Elderly Studies

2015 ◽  
pp. 47-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charis Styliadis ◽  
Panagiotis Kartsidis ◽  
Evangelos Paraskevopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Cognitive Capacity ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Cerebral Structure ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Elderly Populations ◽  
And Function ◽  
Age Related Changes

Advances in the field of neuroimaging have allowed for the examination of the effects of age-related changes on cognitive capacity in elderly populations. Structural techniques are now routinely used to report cortical atrophic rates in aging and particularly within the context of the Alzheimer's disease, and may be integrated with functional techniques which examine the functional characteristics of the cortex at rest and during the performance of a task. Despite advancing age cognitive function remains highly plastic, allowing for interventions that aim to maintain or even remediate its capacity and the mechanisms by which structure and function are altered among seniors. Overall, information on the integrity of the cerebral structure and function aid in the early detection and treatment of the Alzheimer's disease as well as the evaluation and track of the disease's progression. In this chapter, neuroimaging methods are presented along with findings that are particularly relevant for the study of neuroplasticity in the aging brain.

Changes of the Brain Synapses During Aging. New Aspects

2001 ◽  
Vol 56 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 921-929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kleopatra Schulpis ◽  
Artemis Doulgeraki ◽  
Stylianos Tsakiris
Keyword(s):  
Successful Aging ◽  
Brain Aging ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Compensatory Mechanisms ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Adaptive Mechanisms ◽  
Functional Implications ◽  
Effects Of Aging ◽  
The Brain

Abstract The process of brain aging is an interaction of age-related losses and compensatory mechanisms. This review is focused on the changes of the synaptic number and structure, their functional implications, regarding neurotransmission, as well as the electrical activity of neuronal circuits. Moreover, the importance of calcium homeostasis is strongly emphasized. It is also suggested that many neuronal properties are preserved, as a result of adaptive mechanisms, and that a series of interdependent factors regulate brain aging. The "new fron­ tier" in research is the challenge of understanding the effects of aging, both to prevent degen­ erative diseases and reduce their consequences. New aspects are considered a) the role of nitric oxide, b) free radicals and apoptosis, c) impaired cerebral microcirculation, d) m eta­ bolic features of aging brain, e) the possible neuroprotective role of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and ovarian steroids and e) stress and aging. These numerous multifactorial approaches are essential to understand the process of aging. The more we learn about it, the more we realize how to achieve "successful" aging. M inireview

The role of GABAA receptor biogenesis, structure and function in epilepsy

2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 863-867 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Mizielinska ◽  
S. Greenwood ◽  
C.N. Connolly
Keyword(s):  
Gabaa Receptor ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Inhibitory Synapses ◽  
Normal Brain ◽  
Synaptic Targeting ◽  
Acid Type ◽  
Normal Brain Function ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

Maintaining the correct balance in neuronal activation is of paramount importance to normal brain function. Imbalances due to changes in excitation or inhibition can lead to a variety of disorders ranging from the clinically extreme (e.g. epilepsy) to the more subtle (e.g. anxiety). In the brain, the most common inhibitory synapses are regulated by GABAA (γ-aminobutyric acid type A) receptors, a role commensurate with their importance as therapeutic targets. Remarkably, we still know relatively little about GABAA receptor biogenesis. Receptors are constructed as pentameric ion channels, with α and β subunits being the minimal requirement, and the incorporation of a γ subunit being necessary for benzodiazepine modulation and synaptic targeting. Insights have been provided by the discovery of several specific assembly signals within different GABAA receptor subunits. Moreover, a number of recent studies on GABAA receptor mutations associated with epilepsy have further enhanced our understanding of GABAA receptor biogenesis, structure and function.

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