Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

Vitamin D is a lipid soluble steroid hormone, which plays a critical role in the calcium homeostasis, neuronal development, cellular differentiation, and growth by binding to vitamin D receptor (VDR). Associations between VDR gene polymorphism and Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) risk has been investigated extensively, but the results remain ambiguous. The aim of this study was to comprehensively assess the correlations between four VDR polymorphisms ( Fok I, Bsm I, Taq I, and Apa I) and susceptibility to AD, PD, and MCI...

BACKGROUND: Studies have reported that metabolic disturbance exhibits in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Still, the presence of definitive evidence concerning the genetic effect of metabolites on AD risk remains insufficient. A systematic exploration of the genetic association between blood metabolites and AD would contribute to the identification of new targets for AD screening and prevention. METHODS: We conducted an exploratory two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study aiming to preliminarily identify the potential metabolites involved in AD development...

Neuroinflammation refers to a highly complicated reaction of the central nervous system (CNS) to certain stimuli such as trauma, infection, and neurodegenerative diseases. This is a cellular immune response whereby glial cells are activated, inflammatory mediators are liberated and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are synthesized. Neuroinflammation is a key process that helps protect the brain from pathogens, but inappropriate, or protracted inflammation yields pathological states such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis, and other neurodegenerative disorders that showcase various pathways of neurodegeneration distributed in various parts of the CNS...

BACKGROUND: The number of people with dementia is soaring. Cognitive reserve has been thought to be associated with dementia risk. It is not clear at which period in the life course and which cognitive reserve proxies contribute to the reduced risk of dementia. METHODS: By scanning four databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and MEDLINE) up to Jun 3, 2023, longitudinal studies of life-course cognitive reserve and risk of dementia were found. The HRs and 95% CIs for each study were summarized using random effects models...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1282263.].

Manual motor performance declines with age, but the extent to which age influences the acquisition of new skills remains a topic of debate. Here, we examined whether older healthy adults show less training-dependent performance improvements during a single session of a bimanual pinch task than younger adults. We also explored whether physical and cognitive factors, such as grip strength or motor-cognitive ability, are associated with performance improvements. Healthy younger ( n  = 16) and older ( n  = 20) adults performed three training blocks separated by short breaks...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to examine the association between blood levels of Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) - specifically isoleucine, leucine, and valine - and the susceptibility to three neurodegenerative disorders: dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: Based on data from the UK Biobank, a Cox proportional hazard regression model and a dose-response relationship were used to analyze the association between BCAAs and the risks of dementia, AD, and PD...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1323563.].

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease, with a complex pathogenesis and an irreversible course. Therefore, the early diagnosis of AD is particularly important for the intervention, prevention, and treatment of the disease. Based on the different pathophysiological mechanisms of AD, the research progress of biofluid biomarkers are classified and reviewed. In the end, the challenges and perspectives of future research are proposed.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

INTRODUCTION: Donepezil enhances the function of cholinergic nerves by increasing the concentration of acetylcholine, thereby improving clinical symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the neural mechanisms of how donepezil modulates the effective connectivity (EC) network of cholinergic system in AD patients remain unknown. We speculated that the effective network of the cholinergic system changes in AD patients after donepezil intervention. METHODS: We employed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and Granger causality analysis approach to explore changes in the effective connectivity network of the basal forebrain in AD patients before and after donepezil intervention...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: As a rare neurodegenerative disease, sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) is poorly understood in the elderly populace. This study aims to enunciate the multidimensional features of sCJD in this group. METHODS: A case of probable sCJD was reported in a 90-year-old Chinese man with initial dizziness. Then, available English literature of the elderly sCJD cases (aged 80 years and over) was reviewed and analyzed. Patients (15 cases) were subdivided and compared geographically...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to cross-sectionally investigate how static balance changes throughout the aging process in older women aged from their early sixties to their late eighties. METHODS: Forty-six older women (aged 62-89 years) were requested to stand barefoot and quietly on a force platform for 30 s with their eyes either open or closed. During the trials, the position of the center of foot pressure (CoP) and the acceleration of the body's center of mass (ACC) were measured...

INTRODUCTION: Tai Chi has proved to be an effective therapy for balance performance and cognition. However, non-consistency exists in the results of the effect of Tai Chi training on standing balance control in older adults. This study aimed to use traditional and non-traditional methods to investigate the effect of Tai Chi on standing balance in older adults. METHODS: Thirty-six Tai Chi practitioners (TC group) and thirty-six older adults with no Tai Chi practice (control group) were recruited in this study...

INTRODUCTION: Life's Essential 8 (LE8) is prompted by the American Heart Association (AHA) to assess cardiovascular health. The association between LE8 and cognitive function in America is unknown. Our study was to investigate the association of LE8 with cognitive function in general adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 2,301 participants were enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). LE8 scores (range 0-100) were obtained from measurements based on American Heart Association definitions, divided into health behavior and health factor scores...

As a crucial component of the cerebral cholinergic system and the Papez circuit in the basal forebrain, dysfunction of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) is associated with various neurodegenerative disorders. However, no drugs, including existing cholinesterase inhibitors, have been shown to reverse this dysfunction. Due to advancements in neuromodulation technology, researchers are exploring the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy targeting the NBM (NBM-DBS) to treat mental and neurological disorders as well as the related mechanisms...

INTRODUCTION: With aging, dual task (DT) ability declines and is more cognitively demanding than single tasks. Rapidly declining DT performance is regarded as a predictor of neurodegenerative disease. Task training and non-invasive transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) are methods applied to optimize the DT ability of the elderly. METHODS: A systematic search was carried out in the PUBMED, TDCS (transcranial direct current stimulation) databases, as well as Web of Science, and a qualitative analysis was conducted in 56 included studies...

INTRODUCTION: Peripheral inflammatory responses are suggested to play a major role in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a new recognized biomarker, can reflect peripheral inflammation in PD. However, the association between the NLR and dopaminergic degeneration in PD remains unclear. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 101 enrolled PD patients were categorized into early-stage and advanced-stage PD based on the Hoehn and Yahr (HY) scale...