Normal Aging Research Articles

Moderating role of skeletal bone age and sex in the association between phase angle with muscular strength and aerobic fitness among HIV-infected children and adolescents: A prospective cross-sectional study.

The aim of this study was to explore whether skeletal bone age (biological maturation marker) and sex moderate the association between the phase angle with muscular strength and aerobic fitness in children and adolescents with diagnosed with HIV. The sample consisted of 62 children and adolescents (aged 8-15 years) diagnosed with HIV. The phase angle was determined using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Muscular strength was assessed by handgrip strength, and aerobic fitness was assessed by an incremental test on a cycle ergometer. Skeletal bone age and sex were determined through hand and wrist x-rays (Greulich-Pyle method) and a questionnaire, respectively. Both simple and multiple linear regression models were performed, and moderation models with P ≥ 0.05 were constructed. Among male children and adolescents with both normal and early skeletal bone age, muscular strength directly impacted phase angle values (b = 0.0197, P = 0.0001; b = 0.0286, P < 0.0001, respectively). However, for female children and adolescents, regardless of skeletal bone age, muscular strength did not influence the phase angle. In male children and adolescents with both normal and early skeletal bone age, aerobic fitness directly influenced the phase angle (b = 0.0007, P = 0.0001; b = 0.011, P = 0.0001, respectively). Similarly, in female children and adolescents with early skeletal bone age, aerobic fitness directly impacted the phase angle (b = 0.0006, P = 0.0282). Skeletal bone age and sex moderated the relationship between phase angle and both muscular strength and aerobic fitness, especially in children and adolescents with normal and early skeletal bone age, and predominantly in boys.

Health-related quality of life, physical and mental capacity at one year follow up of COVID-19 ICU patients: A prospective cohort study.

In 2020 as COVID-19 rapidly overwhelmed ICU resources, patient care capacity was reduced thus increasing the risk of development of post intensive care syndrome (PICS). Therefore, an increased incidence of survivors with neurocognitive and neuromuscular impairment could be anticipated. This study aimed to describe residual reductions in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and risk factors for PICS as they pertain to outcomes one year after intensive care. Between 01-03-2020 and 31-08-2020, all adult COVID-19 ICU patients discharged alive in two Swedish ICU were included. At 2-, 6- and, 12-months post discharge follow up was conducted. Primary outcome parameters were HRQoL up to 12-months after ICU discharge. Secondary outcome parameters were clinimetric results for physical, mental, and cognitive functions at 6months after intensive care stay. Data from 41 patients were analyzed. Fatigue, anxiety, respiratory impairments, and experienced decline in physical stamina were the dominating findings at 6months. Criteria for PICS were fulfilled in 93% of the study population and a 60% reduction in overall HRQoL, compared with a normal age adjusted population, was seen at follow up. A slight improvement was seen at 6months whereafter no further significant improvement in HRQoL was detected. Fatigue was the most dominant complaint, expressed by almost all patients at follow up. Long term outcome reported in this study showed longstanding impairment in HRQoL, mostly related to reduced well-being and perceived limitations in physical ability. Overall, our findings show similarities with previously reported recovery patterns after intensive care. However, the COVID-19 cohort displayed a more profound reduction in HRQoL paralleled with severe fatigue and respiratory limitations. This signals the need for a deeper understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms of COVID-19 induced residual impairments and more precise instruments to tailor an individually designed aftercare.

Parallel gene expression changes in ventral midbrain dopamine and GABA neurons during normal aging.

The consequences of aging can vary dramatically between different brain regions and cell types. In the ventral midbrain, dopaminergic neurons develop physiological deficits with normal aging that likely convey susceptibility to neurodegeneration. While nearby GABAergic neurons are thought to be more resilient, decreased GABA signaling in other areas nonetheless correlates with age-related cognitive decline and the development of degenerative diseases. Here, we used two novel cell type-specific Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification models to elucidate the impact of healthy brain aging on the molecular profiles of dopamine and GABA neurons in the ventral midbrain. By analyzing differential gene expression from young adult (7-10 month) and old (21-24 month) mice, we detected commonalities in the aging process in both neuronal types, including increased inflammatory responses and upregulation of pro-survival pathways. Both cell types also showed downregulation of genes involved in synaptic connectivity and plasticity. Intriguingly, genes involved in serotonergic synthesis were upregulated with age in GABA neurons and not dopamine-releasing cells. In contrast, dopaminergic neurons showed alterations in genes connected with mitochondrial function and calcium signaling, which were markedly downregulated in male mice. Sex differences were detected in both neuron types, but in general were more prominent in dopamine neurons. Multiple sex effects correlated with the differential prevalence for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's seen in humans. In summary, these results provide insight into the connection between non-pathological aging and susceptibility to neurodegenerative diseases involving the ventral midbrain, and identify molecular phenotypes that could underlie homeostatic maintenance during normal aging.Significance statement This work describes altered gene expression profiles in ventral midbrain dopamine and GABA neurons with aging. Experiments used two novel cell type-specific reporter models to enable translatome analysis. Common age-driven alterations included increased inflammatory and pro-survival cell signaling, and downregulation of synaptic transmission and plasticity genes. In individual cell types, we observed upregulation of serotonergic synthesis in GABA neurons and downregulation of mitochondrial function genes in dopamine neurons. Sex differences were detected in both neuronal types, but were more prominent in dopamine neurons. These results reinforce aging as a risk factor for neurodegeneration in these neuronal populations while providing insight into potential mechanisms of homeostatic regulation during healthy aging and into genetic adaptations that are sex or neuron type specific.

Neurodegenerative changes in Alzheimer’s disease: A review of anatomical features and histological findings

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide, presenting an increasing challenge to healthcare systems due to its multivariate etiology and lack of curative therapeutic options. AD, first identified by Alois Alzheimer in 1907, is characterized by the buildup of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides and hyperphosphorylated tau protein, which together generate the disease's characteristic neuropathological lesions: amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). The most prominent explanation regarding the pathophysiology of AD is still the amyloid cascade hypothesis, which postulates that neuronal malfunction and cognitive decline are caused by the aggregation of Aβ peptides into plaques. Elderly individuals with this condition typically exhibit progressive cognitive impairment and memory loss. Clinical assessment is the primary basis for diagnosis, which is complemented by modern imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers. AD is characterized histologically by intracellular tangles and extracellular plaques that cause significant cerebral atrophy. Neurofibrillary tangles, composed of hyperphosphorylated tau, accumulate in neurons’ perikaryal cytoplasm, whereas senile plaques consist of a beta-amyloid core surrounded by dystrophic neurites. Other neuropathological signs include granulovacuolar degeneration and Hirano bodies. The synapse loss observed in AD has a significant impact on cognitive performance and exemplifies the disease's extensive synaptic pathologies. It remains challenging to distinguish between early-stage AD and normal aging, particularly at advanced age. Recent treatment research focuses on altering the progression of the disease by targeting amyloid plaques and tau tangles, as well as developing early intervention options for individuals with preclinical AD or those at high risk of cognitive decline.

Expertise supports memory for arbitrary relations in aging.

Accessing knowledge acquired across the lifespan differs from our ability to recall recent episodes or experiences, although the two processes are highly interrelated. Whereas episodic memory function typically declines with normal aging, semantic memory, including language and factual knowledge, are more robust to age-related decline. The structure and stability of acquired knowledge make it a potential asset in helping remember new information, even when it is completely unrelated. In the present study, we examined whether specialized knowledge about birds may help bird experts retain arbitrary episodic associations between (faces) paired with domain-relevant information (bird images) versus domain-irrelevant information (car images). After studying bird-face or car-face pairs, participants decided whether test pairs were either intact or recombined. Experts showed a large memory advantage for pairs in which faces had previously been paired with a bird versus a car, but no difference was found in novices. Although broad age-related declines in memory persisted, this benefit of prior knowledge was prevalent across the age range, such that relational memory performance in 75-year-old experts was roughly equivalent to corresponding performance in 20-year-old novices. These results show how expertise can offset age-related memory decline by allowing experts of all ages to efficiently link novel information to structured knowledge that has been accumulated across the lifetime. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Effects of aging on word position encoding in Chinese reading

Recent research has highlighted a growing interest in word position coding during sentence reading, with young adults demonstrating flexible encoding of word positions. However, normal aging is associated with the visual and cognitive changes, which may impact this flexibility – particularly in Chinese reading, where word boundaries are not explicitly marked. This study examined age-related differences in the flexibility of word position encoding by investigating the transposed-word effect in young and older adults. Participants read sentences containing transposed words and control sentences while performing a rapid grammaticality decision task. Both age groups exhibited the transposed-word effect, with longer response times and higher error rates in the transposed-word condition compared to the control condition, indicating that the flexibility of word position coding is preserved across adulthood. Crucially, young adults showed a more pronounced transposed-word effect than older adults, suggesting an age-related reduction in the flexibility of word position coding. These findings suggest that while the flexibility of word position coding is preserved across adulthood, older adults display reduced flexibility compared to young adults in Chinese reading.

Dose-effect Relationship of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Rats with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment

Background: Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) represents an intermediate stage between normal aging and dementia. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy, has shown promise in enhancing brain oxygenation and promoting neural stem cell proliferation. Methods:80 SD male adult rats were randomly divided into control group, amnestic mild cognitive impairment group(aMCI group) and hyperbaric oxygen group(HBO group).The HBO group was divided into 6 subgroups according to different treatment pressures: 1.6ATA subgroup, 1.8ATA subgroup, 2.0ATA subgroup, 2.2ATA subgroup, 2.5ATA subgroup and 2.8ATA subgroup, with 10 in each group. The HBO group received hyperbaric oxygen therapy at the specified pressure for 60 minutes per day for 5 consecutive days. Results:After hyperbaric oxygen treatment, compared with the aMCI group, the escape latency of each HBO subgroup was significantly shortened (p&lt;0.001). The 2.0ATA subgroup (p=0.001), 2.2ATA subgroup (p=0.001)and 2.5ATA subgroup ( p=0.002) significantly increased the number of platform crossings.the levels of SOD were significantly increased in1.6ATA subgroup (p=0.019), 1.8ATA subgroup(p =0.003), 2.0ATA subgroup(p=0.010 ) and 2.2ATA group(p=0.016) and MDA contents were significantly decreased in the 1.6ATA subgroup(p=0.015), 1.8ATA subgroup(p =0.012), 2.0ATA subgroup(p=0.002), and 2.2ATA subgroups (p&lt;0.001), and the levels of eNOS were significantly decreased in the 1.8ATA subgroup(p=0.007) and 2.0ATA subgroup (p=0.029),and the expression of nNOS were significantly decreased in the 1.8ATA subgroup (p=0.006),2.0ATA subgroup (p&lt;0.001) and the 2.2ATA subgroup ( p&lt; 0.001). Conclusions:In aMCI model rats found that HBO treatment at a pressure of 2.0 ATA with a stabilization time of 60 minutes per day for 5 days was the most effective.

MƏKTƏBDƏ İNTELLEKTUAL İNKİŞAFI LƏNGİYƏN AUTİST-YENİYETMƏLƏRİN DİAQNOSTİKASI

Article deals with research, the most common features of autism are the lack of social interaction, lack of language and communication capabilities, repetitive behaviors, and excessive loyalty. That when diagnosing students with mental retardation, it is important to take into account the limitations of cognitive abilities, their impact on learning activities, and their ability to master unlike their normal age. At the same time, it is important to remember that overload of software with autistic children with mental, intellectual development problems slows down its development.

Understanding the cognitive factors which contribute to individual differences in financial capacity in aging

Aging is accompanied by changes in multiple cognitive domains, which can impact older adults’ ability to maintain independence. The ability to manage one’s personal finances is an activity of daily living most often studied in the context of Mild Cognitive Impairment and dementia. However, it is critical that we also understand the nature and sources of variation in financial capacity in cognitively unimpaired populations. This study aimed to establish meaningful individual differences in financial capacity in this population and to define those primary behavioral predictors of individual differences. Applying a partial least squares correlation approach, we found significant associations between financial capacity, as assessed by the Financial Capacity-Short Form, and a battery of neuropsychological and self-report measures in normal aging (r = .56, p < .001). Key predictors of financial capacity included fluid reasoning, crystallized intelligence, working memory updating, visual memory, and self-reported sleep duration (|rs| = 0.29−0.56, ps = 0.02− 0.001). These findings indicate that financial capacity is supported by multiple cognitive domains in aging. Further, associations with fluid reasoning and crystallized intelligence suggest some individuals may be more protected against clinically-relevant impairment in financial capacity through cognitive reserve mechanisms.

Longitudinal pathway analysis using structural information with case studies in early type 1 diabetes

Pathway analysis is a frequent step in studies involving gene or protein expression data, but most of the available pathway methods are designed for simple case versus control studies of two sample groups without further complexity. The few available methods allowing the pathway analysis of more complex study designs cannot use pathway structures or handle the situation where the variable of interest is not defined for all samples. Such scenarios are common in longitudinal studies with so long follow up time that healthy controls are required to identify the effect of normal aging apart from the effect of disease development, which is not defined for controls. To address the need, we introduce a new method for Pathway Analysis of Longitudinal data (PAL), which is suitable for complex study designs, such as longitudinal data. The main advantages of PAL are the use of pathway structures and the suitability of the approach for study settings beyond currently available tools. We demonstrate the performance of PAL with simulated data and three longitudinal datasets related to the early development of type 1 diabetes, which involve different study designs and only subtle biological signals, and include both transcriptomic and proteomic data. An R package implementing PAL is publicly available at https://github.com/elolab/PAL.

Celebrating 40 years of the University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

Celebrating 40 years of the University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

Exposure to toxic metals might accelerate aging.

Exposure to toxic metals might accelerate aging.

Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause: Evaluation and Management.

Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause: Evaluation and Management.

Dedifferentiation of brain functional gradient captures cognition performance and stroke occurrence: A UK Biobank study.

Dedifferentiation of brain functional gradient captures cognition performance and stroke occurrence: A UK Biobank study.

Electroencephalography estimates brain age in infants with high precision: Leveraging advanced machine learning in healthcare.

Electroencephalography estimates brain age in infants with high precision: Leveraging advanced machine learning in healthcare.

Sleep trajectories across three cognitive-aging pathways in community older adults.

Comparing sleep and rest-activity rhythms across different cognitive aging pathways can identify novel risk factors and potential mechanisms. However, our current understanding is restricted by differences in sleep measurement, limited longitudinal data, and heterogeneous cognitive aging processes. We applied cubic splines to longitudinal self-reported sleep and actigraphy data from 1449 participants in the Rush Memory and Aging Project and quantified differences in the levels and trajectories of sleep amount, regularity, and timing within and between three cognitive aging pathways: normal, stable mild cognitive impairment, dementia. Sleep amount was lowest in the dementia pathway prior to cognitive impairment but increased with age, most rapidly after dementia. Regularity declined across all pathways, most rapidly after cognitive diagnoses. Timing advanced across all pathways. Shorter sleep amount in cognitively healthy older adults may be a risk factor or prodromal indicator of dementia, while longer sleep amounts and decreasing regularity may reflect neurodegeneration. We quantified longitudinal changes in sleep across three cognitive-aging pathways. We incorporated both subjective and objective measures of sleep health. Self-report duration increased noticeably from before to after cognitive diagnosis. Sleep irregularity increased most prominently after cognitive diagnosis. Advances in sleep timing occurred in both normal and pathological aging.

A potential supplemental indication of dipyridamole for contraception: Dipyridamole inhibits mouse sperm fertilization capacity in vitro.

A potential supplemental indication of dipyridamole for contraception: Dipyridamole inhibits mouse sperm fertilization capacity in vitro.

BIOCHEMICAL INFLUENCE OF FICUS EXASPERATA ON THE COLON OF HEALTHY WISTAR RATS AND ITS APOPTOTIC EFFECTS ON COLORECTAL CANCER

Dysregulation of the apoptotic pathway is one of the hallmarks of colorectal cancer progression. Apoptosis is a programmed cell death that occurs during normal development and aging. It is genetically regulated and involves intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. This study investigates how the methanol leaf extract of Ficus exasperata could promote apoptosis in colorectal cancer, and also the effect on colon antioxidant status of apparently healthy Wistar rats. This study was done in three phases. In the first phase, the acute toxicity check of the extract was done using a total of 12 rats. In phase 2, sub-chronic test was carried out with a total of 20 rats divided into four groups. 48 rats with 6 rats in each group were used in the third phase of this study. The third phase investigates the effect of the extract on some apoptotic genes. The oral toxicity test showed that the plant is not toxic to the animals as reflected in the antioxidant status and lipid peroxidation marker. This claim was further supported by the histology result. BAX, BCL2 and TP-53 were the apoptotic genes that were assayed for in this study. BCL-2 an antiapoptotic gene was found to be high in the group that took the carcinogen without treatment. The proapoptotic genes TP53 and BAX were significantly low in this group as well but the extract was able to mitigate the effect of the carcinogen hence, an increase in the relative gene expression of this proapoptotic gene in treated groups.

Low-level expression of Cmyc in mature neurons: maintaining neuronal function and preventing neurodegeneration.

Cmyc, a proto-oncogene, is expressed at extremely low levels in mature neurons and is traditionally thought to have no function in these cells. However, recent studies suggest that Cmyc may play a crucial role in maintaining the health and function of mature dopaminergic neurons. This study assessed the role of Cmyc in dopaminergic neurons and its significance in Parkinson's disease. We used a conditional knockout approach to specifically delete Cmyc in substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons of adult mice. Our findings showed that Cmyc deletion led to progressive neuron loss, Parkinson's disease-like symptoms, downregulation of Klotho, and upregulation of senescence-associated inflammatory factors, along with enhanced oxidative stress and nitrated alpha-synuclein accumulation, ultimately causing neuronal death. In vitro experiments confirmed increased senescence in C-MYC knockout cells, which was partially reversible by KLOTHO overexpression. We conclude that low-level Cmyc expression is essential for maintaining the health of mature dopaminergic neurons and preventing neurodegeneration, and suggest the c-Myc/Klotho axis as a potential therapeutic target for age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease. Our study introduces a novel mouse model for Parkinson's disease that replicates a condition associated with normal aging, offering a valuable tool for future research into disease mechanisms and therapeutic strategies.

Alleviative Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease and Early Ecological Intervention Strategies in the Community

According to the data from the 7th national population census, the population aged 65 and above in China has reached 13.50%, indicating that the country has entered a deeply aging society. The health issues of the elderly have become a significant concern for society. Common brain diseases among the elderly, including cerebrovascular diseases, genetic factors, or long-term solitary living, can all lead to dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) being the most common. Early symptoms of AD mainly include memory loss and difficulty concentrating, which are often mistaken for normal aging or stress-related issues and thus overlooked. AD lacks specific biomarkers and effective auxiliary diagnostic methods, making it difficult to accurately diagnose with existing imaging and neuroprotein indicators. Therefore, early detection of AD is very challenging. This article explores community-based early detection and intervention strategies from the perspectives of existing mechanism research, clinical manifestations, modern drug treatments, innovative explorations in traditional medicine, and community-appropriate technologies, aiming to construct an ecological management strategy.