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The Aging Patterns of Brain Structure, Function, and Energy Metabolism.
Mingxi Dang1,2, Feng Sang1,2, Shijie Long1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|July 7, 2023
Summary
Normal brain aging involves structural and functional changes, distinct from neurodegenerative diseases. A healthy lifestyle, like exercise, can protect against cognitive decline and brain aging.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Normal aging alters brain structure, function, and metabolism, impacting cognitive abilities.
- Distinguishing normal aging from neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's is crucial for effective interventions.
- Understanding protective factors is key to mitigating age-related cognitive decline.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize normal aging patterns in brain structure, function, and metabolism.
- To differentiate these patterns from pathological changes seen in neurodegenerative diseases.
- To explore factors that protect the aging brain.
Main Methods:
- Review of age-related changes in cortical gray matter and white matter.
- Analysis of brain activity using electroencephalography, magnetoencephalogram, and fMRI.
- Discussion of the role of amyloid-beta and tau in aging and disease.
Main Results:
- Normal aging shows cortical gray matter atrophy, influenced by lifestyle factors.
- White matter changes (atrophy, hyperintensity) predominantly affect the frontal lobe.
- Posterior white matter lesions may indicate early Alzheimer's disease.
- Brain activity shifts occur, supporting the posterior-anterior shift in aging (PASA) theory.
- Amyloid-beta and tau accumulation are linked to both aging and neurodegeneration.
Conclusions:
- Normal brain aging exhibits distinct structural and functional changes, separable from neurodegenerative pathology.
- Lifestyle interventions, such as physical exercise, demonstrate protective effects on the aging brain.
- Further research into aging mechanisms and protective factors is warranted to maintain cognitive health.
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