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Uncovering the link between incidental physical activity and inhibition of automatic responses in aging. An ERP study
The concept of cognitive reserve explains how the brain maintains function despite age-related changes or neuropathological damage. Factors such as education, cognitive stimulation, and physical activity contribute to strengthening this reserve. While research has highlighted the benefits of structured exercise, less attention has been given to the impact of incidental physical activity (IPA) everyday, unplanned movements like walking or household chores. This study examined the relationship...
Difference between Okinawan and Dutch older adults in prefrontal brain activation
CONCLUSION: Our results reveal less activation of the task-relevant areas in participants from Okinawa as compared to Dutch participants. It could be hypothesized, with caution, that Okinawan older adults may need less executive processing resources to perform the task. Other differences in activation may be related to different strategy use, which may be studied in more detail in future investigations.
Patterns of transcriptomic aging in the hippocampus of rhesus macaques highlight midlife transitions
Patterns of brain aging are generally conserved among primates; however, there is marked variation in the observed rate among individuals, species, and brain regions. The hippocampus is a region particularly susceptible to the aging process. To better understand how the hippocampus changes over the lifespan, we measured gene expression in 96 banked hippocampus samples from adult male and female rhesus macaques aged 3-35 years old. Importantly, our dataset included representation across adulthood...
Environmental NaCl affects Caenorhabditis elegans development and aging
Sodium chloride (NaCl) is an essential nutrient, but it is toxic in excess. In humans, excessive dietary NaCl can cause high blood pressure, which contributes to age-related diseases, including stroke and heart disease. We used Caenorhabditis elegans to elucidate how NaCl levels influence animal aging. Most experiments on this animal are conducted in standard culture conditions: Nematode Growth Medium (NGM) agar with a lawn of E. coli. Here, we report that the supplemental NaCl in standard NGM,...
Why chocolate tastes so good: microbes that fine-tune its flavour
‘Computing is a Black people’s thing’
Protect Antarctica — or risk accelerating planetary meltdown
Why amphibious, wet environments hold the key to climate adaptation
Beyond AlphaFold: how AI is decoding the grammar of the genome
Raw ingredients: turning algal protein into mock meat
Ancient coins unveil web of trade across southeast Asia
Why nurturing the gut microbiota could resolve depression and anxiety
Platelets: A new therapeutic target for neurological diseases
Beyond their classical roles in hemostasis and coagulation, accumulating evidence highlights platelets as multifaceted regulators within the nervous system. Research has revealed that platelet-derived factors promote blood-brain barrier (BBB) maturation and angiogenesis via neurochemical pathways. At the same time, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) facilitates neural regeneration by mitigating the neurotoxicity of amyloid-beta (Aβ) and activating the PI3k/Akt signaling pathway. Platelets also modulate...
Cerebral small-vessel disease severity, hypertension, and body mass index forecast striatal dopamine D2-receptor decline rates in aging
Normal aging is associated with decline in dopamine function. Factors associated with individual differences in dopamine decline rates remain unclear but are important to map to spare dopamine-related functions, such as cognition. Here we focused on manifestations of cerebral small-vessel disease from magnetic resonance imaging (white-matter lesions, lacunes, and perivascular space dilation) and vascular risk factors (e.g., hypertension, body mass index (BMI), and hyperlipidemia). We assessed...
Urinary elementomic analysis indicates aluminum as a potential urinary biomarker of sarcopenia in the older adults
Sarcopenia is characterized by aging-related progressive loss of muscle mass and function; however, the specific and sensitive biomarkers are still limited. Biometals and trace elements provide a potential connection linking the environment and lifestyle to pathological processes of sarcopenia. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between urinary trace elements levels and the presence of sarcopenia. A total of 100 older adults aged ≥65 years consisting of 50 patients...
Recruitment evaluation of a gerotherapeutic randomized controlled trial testing alpha-ketoglutarate in biologically older, middle-aged adults (ABLE)
CONCLUSION: ABLE demonstrated the feasibility of recruiting biologically older yet generally healthy middle-aged adults for gerotherapeutic interventions.
Alpha-synuclein interacts with regulators of ATP homeostasis in mitochondria
Mitochondrial dysfunction and accumulation of α-synuclein aggregates are hallmarks of the neurodegenerative Parkinson's disease and may be interconnected. To investigate the interplay between α-synuclein and brain mitochondria at near atomic structural level, we apply NMR and identify α-synuclein protein interactors using limited proteolysis-coupled mass spectrometry (LiP-MS). Several of the proteins identified are related to ATP synthesis and homeostasis and include subunits of ATP synthase and...
The impact of social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic on functional performance, fall risk, and gait in individuals with Parkinson's Disease: a systematic review
Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by motor impairments such as tremors, rigidity, and bradykinesia. Regular physical activity plays a key role in managing these symptoms, yet the COVID-19 pandemic imposed social isolation measures that significantly curtailed physical activity, potentially accelerating motor decline. This systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence on the impact of pandemic-related social isolation on motor symptom deterioration in...
Nurses' own perceptions of old age and their attitudes towards their older patients: a cross-sectional study
CONCLUSION: It was determined that nurses' views on old age and aging affect their attitudes towards the older patients. It was observed that nurses' views on old age and aging were negative, but their attitudes towards the older patients were positive.
Fibroblast bioelectric signaling drives hair growth
Hair loss affects millions globally, significantly impacting quality of life and psychological well-being. Despite its prevalence, effective strategies for promoting human hair growth remain elusive. By investigating congenital generalized hypertrichosis terminalis (CGHT), a rare genetic disorder characterized by excessive hair growth, we discover that chromatin deletions or an inverted duplication disrupt the topologically associating domain (TAD), leading to the upregulation of the potassium...