Aggregator

The influence of age and captivity on cardiac structure and function in rhesus macaques

2 weeks 2 days ago
Captive non-human primates are widely used as models of aging, yet the conditions they live in differ markedly from their natural environment. Such environmental differences may influence how the cardiovascular system changes with age. This study characterized age-related cardiac phenotypes in free-ranging rhesus macaques and compared these patterns to captive-housed macaques to assess the influence of environment on cardiac structure and function across the lifespan. We performed transthoracic...
T G Dawkins

Global executive function advantages in older adults with long-term habitual exercise are associated with resting-state functional reorganization

2 weeks 2 days ago
Normal aging is accompanied by declines in executive function, and regular physical exercise has been proposed as a protective factor. However, the neural correlates linking long-term habitual exercise to executive efficiency in older adults remain unclear. This study combined resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) with behavioral assessments to examine whether long-term habitual exercise is associated with executive performance and resting-state neural organization in...
Weikun Zhang

A Circadian Trough in Glucocorticoid Signaling Is Essential for Bone Health in Mice

2 weeks 2 days ago
We previously demonstrated that flattening circadian glucocorticoid (GC) rhythmicity without increasing overall GC exposure induces an osteoporotic phenotype in mice. Here, we aimed to further elucidate the importance of the amplitude and timing of circadian GC oscillations for bone health. C57Bl/6J mice were implanted with vehicle or corticosterone slow-releasing pellets to flatten the circadian GC rhythm. To differentiate between the importance of circadian GC peaks or troughs, mice with...
Annelies E Smit

Neural and motor mechanisms of handwriting: from healthy aging to neurodegenerative disorders

2 weeks 2 days ago
Handwriting is a complex cognitive and motor skill supported by a distributed brain network involving cortical, subcortical, and cerebellar regions responsible for planning, execution, and sensorimotor integration. Beyond its communicative role, handwriting provides biologically meaningful information about brain function and motor control, serving as a sensitive marker of both normal and pathological changes. Age-related alterations, such as reduced fine motor precision, impaired sensory...
Francesca Burgio

Brimonidine Therapy for Protection From Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

2 weeks 2 days ago
Noise exposure is a known cause of hearing loss, and only a few effective preventive drugs are available. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the protective effects of brimonidine on noise-induced inner ear hearing impairment in mice and explore its underlying mechanisms and long-term outcomes. Mice were randomly divided into control, noise exposure, and brimonidine groups. A 62-week follow-up was conducted after noise exposure. Brimonidine inhibited the noise-induced increase in...
Jing Cai