Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 4, 2026
07:46
Gait Analysis of Age-dependent Motor Impairments in Mice with Neurodegeneration
Published on: June 18, 2018
12.5K
Inflammation Mediates Body Weight and Ageing Effects on Psychomotor Slowing
Leonie J T Balter1,2, Suzanne Higgs3, Sarah Aldred4
1School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK. leonie.balter@su.se.
Scientific Reports
|November 2, 2019
Summary
Chronic inflammation slows brain processing speed, impacting performance in older adults and those with obesity. Reducing inflammation may improve cognitive function and health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Inflammation impacts neuronal function and cognitive processes.
- Obesity and aging are linked to chronic inflammation and slower psychomotor speed.
- The mediating role of inflammation in these associations is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between inflammation, psychomotor speed, and cognitive function in lean and overweight adults of different ages.
- To determine if inflammation mediates the link between high body mass index (BMI) and psychomotor slowing.
- To examine if inflammation mediates age-related psychomotor slowing.
Main Methods:
- Blood interleukin-6 levels were used to index inflammation.
- Psychomotor speed and selective visual attention were measured.
- Participants included young and old adults with varying BMI.
Main Results:
- Inflammation positively correlated with psychomotor speed, age, and BMI.
- Inflammation fully mediated the association between high BMI and psychomotor slowing.
- Inflammation partially mediated age-related psychomotor slowing.
Conclusions:
- Inflammation plays a key role in psychomotor slowing associated with obesity and aging.
- Targeting inflammation could potentially mitigate cognitive decline and improve health outcomes.
- Reducing inflammation may enhance cognitive performance and daily task efficiency.
More Related Videos
10:19Getting to Compliance in Forced Exercise in Rodents: A Critical Standard to Evaluate Exercise Impact in Aging-related Disorders and Disease
Published on: August 22, 2014
14.6K
08:17A Mouse Model of Orthopedic Surgery to Study Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction and Tissue Regeneration
Published on: February 27, 2018
16.9K
Related Concept Videos
01:19The Effect of Aging on Tissues
3.1K
Several body functions deteriorate with age. The external signs of aging are easily identifiable. For example, the skin becomes dry, less elastic, and thins out, forming wrinkles. The skin of the face begins to appear looser due to a decrease in the levels of elastic and collagen fibers in the connective tissue. Additionally, melanin production in the hair follicle decreases with age, resulting in gray hair. Moreover, the senses of sight and hearing decline, so glasses and hearing aids may...
3.1K
01:26Aging
545
Aging is a complex biological phenomenon influenced by various processes that affect cellular and systemic functions. Several prominent theories attempt to explain its mechanisms, highlighting cellular limitations, oxidative damage, and hormonal changes as central factors in aging.
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
545
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
162
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
162
01:00Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution
191
Drug distribution in the human body is influenced by several factors, including plasma protein concentration, body composition, blood flow, tissue-protein concentration, and tissue fluid pH. Among these, changes in plasma protein concentration and body composition due to aging significantly affect how drugs are distributed within the body. Specifically, aging is associated with a decrease in albumin levels by about 10% and an increase in α1-acid glycoprotein levels. These alterations are...
191
01:19Psychoneuroimmunology: Diabetes and Cancer
385
Chronic stress has been linked to both the onset and progression of serious health conditions, including Type 2 diabetes and cancer. Type 2 diabetes, a widespread chronic illness, is closely associated with obesity and insulin resistance, both of which often worsen under stress. Studies indicate that men experiencing high levels of chronic stress face a 45% higher risk of developing diabetes compared to those with minimal stress. Stress triggers physiological responses that elevate blood...
385
01:22Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Absorption
194
As individuals age, their body's physiology evolves, affecting drug pharmacokinetics. The most apparent changes occur in the gastrointestinal tract, where an increase in gastric pH, a delay in gastric emptying, and a reduction in gastrointestinal motility are observed. Remarkably, these changes do not substantially modify the absorption of orally administered drugs, particularly those absorbed via passive diffusion.Transdermal drug delivery emerges as a highly viable method for older adults due...
194