Abstract
Alterations in the structure and organization of the aging central nervous system (CNS), and associated functional deficits, result in cognitive decline and increase susceptibility to neurodegeneration. Age-related changes to the neurovascular unit (NVU), and their consequences for cerebrovascular function, are implicated as driving cognitive impairment during aging as well as in neurodegenerative disease. The molecular events underlying these effects are incompletely characterized. Similarly, the mechanisms underlying effects of factors that reduce the impact of aging on the brain, such as physical exercise, are also opaque. A study in this issue of PLOS Biology links the NVU to cognitive decline in the aging brain and suggests a potential underlying molecular mechanism. Notably, the study further links the protective effects of chronic exercise on cognition to neurovascular integrity during aging.
Highlights
Age-associated alterations in the structure and organization of the central nervous system (CNS) result in cognitive impairment [1] and increase susceptibility to individual overt neurodegenerative pathology and clinical disease [2]
Understanding the factors that contribute to age-related changes in structure and function within the CNS may lead to novel approaches to prevent the associated cognitive decline as well as reduce the incidence of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer disease (AD)
In contrast to wild-type mice, they show that exercise has no effect on age-related neurovascular decline or microglia/ monocyte activation in the absence of apolipoprotein E (ApoE)
Summary
Alterations in the structure and organization of the aging central nervous system (CNS), and associated functional deficits, result in cognitive decline and increase susceptibility to neurodegeneration. The mechanisms underlying effects of factors that reduce the impact of aging on the brain, such as physical exercise, are opaque. A study in this issue of PLOS Biology links the NVU to cognitive decline in the aging brain and suggests a potential underlying molecular mechanism. The study further links the protective effects of chronic exercise on cognition to neurovascular integrity during aging
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