Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2025
09:47
Author Spotlight: Advancing Alzheimer's Research – Exploring Early Detection and Multi-Omics Approaches
Published on: December 15, 2023
944
Whole-body networks: a holistic approach for studying aging
Orestis Stylianou1, Johannes M Meixner2, Tilman Schlick3
1Department of Surgery, Immanuel Clinic Rüdersdorf, University Clinic of Brandenburg Medical School, Berlin, Germany. orestisstylianou@rocketmail.com.
Geroscience
|January 28, 2025
Summary
Aging impacts multiple organs, but a holistic view is missing. This study reveals age-related changes in whole-body networks (WBNs) and their connection to cognitive function, offering new insights into aging.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Systems Biology
Background:
- Aging is a complex, multi-organ process often studied in isolation.
- Understanding the integrated physiological network during aging remains incomplete.
- Previous research focused on organ-specific aging mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze whole-body network (WBN) differences between young and elderly individuals.
- To investigate the relationship between WBNs and cognitive functions.
- To validate a novel analytical pipeline for WBN assessment.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signals were analyzed.
- Respiratory rate and heart rate time series data were collected from young and elderly groups.
- Time-lagged coupling was used to construct and compare whole-body networks (WBNs).
Main Results:
- The analytical pipeline successfully identified regional network differences between age groups.
- Whole-body networks (WBNs) exhibited altered connectivity (stronger and weaker links) in the elderly.
- Network interconnectivity and segregation correlated negatively with short-term memory and verbal learning in young adults.
Conclusions:
- The whole-body network (WBN) concept provides a valuable framework for understanding aging.
- Age-related alterations in WBNs are identifiable and linked to cognitive performance.
- This methodology offers potential for studying aging and age-related diseases holistically.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Aging
36
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...
36
01:19The Effect of Aging on Tissues
2.0K
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...
2.0K
01:33Whole Body Regeneration
3.3K
Regeneration is the process of restoring injured or lost tissues, organs, or body parts. While simpler organisms generally show greater ability to regenerate their whole body, few complex animals show similarly exceptional regeneration. For example, planarian flatworms have a unique regenerative potential making them a popular study organism among biologists to understand the mechanisms of whole body regeneration. Other organisms, such as hydra, also show extreme regeneration potential;...
3.3K
01:15Model Approaches for Pharmacokinetic Data: Physiological Models
28
Physiological models in pharmacokinetics are instrumental in understanding the distribution and elimination of drugs within the body. These models describe the drug concentration within target organs, influenced by factors such as drug uptake, tissue volume, and blood flow. Drug uptake is governed by the partition coefficient, which signifies the drug concentration ratio in tissue to that in the blood. The blood flow rate to a specific tissue is expressed as Qt, and the rate of change in tissue...
28
01:37Mitochondria
10.0K
Mitochondria are eukaryotic cellular organelles that are known to produce energy through a process called oxidative phosphorylation. Besides their primary function, mitochondria are involved in various cellular processes, including cell growth, differentiation, signaling, metabolism, and senescence. Age-related changes cause a decline in mitochondrial quality and integrity due to increased mitochondrial mutations and oxidative damage. Thus, aging can severely impact mitochondrial functions,...
10.0K
01:10Homeostatic Imbalance
21.6K
Homeostasis is the maintenance of a stable internal environment within the body, which is crucial for the proper functioning of cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems. The body has various control mechanisms that work together to regulate various physiological parameters such as temperature, blood pressure, pH balance, and fluid balance, to name a few. These control mechanisms are based on feedback loops that can be either positive or negative.
However, sometimes these feedback loops fail,...
However, sometimes these feedback loops fail,...
21.6K