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Aguayo LG, Armijo-Weingart L, San Martin L, Guzmán Castillo A, Konar-Nie M, Gallegos S. Changes in the Properties of Ethanol-Sensitive Molecular Targets During Maturation and Aging. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2025; 1473:299-316. [PMID: 40128484 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-81908-7_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2025]
Abstract
At present, there is a good understanding of the negative neurobiological impacts that ethanol has on adolescent and adult brains; the effects of this drug on the aging brain, both normal and pathological, are only now starting to emerge. Biomedical research involving the effects of alcohol on aging is limited; however, studies in human subjects show that older adults perform worse in tests assessing working memory, attention, and cognition as compared to younger adults. The neurobiological basis for these effects in the elderly is largely unknown. In the last 30 years, important molecular targets for ethanol actions in the adolescent and adult brain have been identified. Yet, we know very little about whether these targets are still affected by ethanol in the older brain. The brain structure changes during aging, and the targets and their functional characteristics may also change. Thus, one can expect that ethanol will have distinct effects on the brain of an aged organism.This chapter discusses the available data showing how aging influences critical proteins that affect neuronal excitability, nerve conduction, and synaptic transmission and how aging modifies the sensitivity of these proteins to ethanol. The data show limited information on ethanol's effects in the aged brains of mice and rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis G Aguayo
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile
- Programa en Neurociencia, Psiquatria y Salud Mental, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile
| | - Lorena Armijo-Weingart
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile
- Programa en Neurociencia, Psiquatria y Salud Mental, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile
| | - Loreto San Martin
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile
- Programa en Neurociencia, Psiquatria y Salud Mental, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile
| | - Alejandra Guzmán Castillo
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile
- Programa en Neurociencia, Psiquatria y Salud Mental, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile
| | - Macarena Konar-Nie
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile
- Programa en Neurociencia, Psiquatria y Salud Mental, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile
| | - Scarlet Gallegos
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile
- Programa en Neurociencia, Psiquatria y Salud Mental, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile
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Neudorf J, Shen K, McIntosh AR. Reorganization of structural connectivity in the brain supports preservation of cognitive ability in healthy aging. Netw Neurosci 2024; 8:837-859. [PMID: 39355433 PMCID: PMC11398719 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 10/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The global population is aging rapidly, and a research question of critical importance is why some older adults suffer tremendous cognitive decline while others are mostly spared. Past aging research has shown that older adults with spared cognitive ability have better local short-range information processing while global long-range processing is less efficient. We took this research a step further to investigate whether the underlying structural connections, measured in vivo using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI), show a similar shift to support cognitive ability. We analyzed the structural connectivity streamline probability (representing the probability of connection between regions) and nodal efficiency and local efficiency regional graph theory metrics to determine whether age and cognitive ability are related to structural network differences. We found that the relationship between structural connectivity and cognitive ability with age was nuanced, with some differences with age that were associated with poorer cognitive outcomes, but other reorganizations that were associated with spared cognitive ability. These positive changes included strengthened local intrahemispheric connectivity and increased nodal efficiency of the ventral occipital-temporal stream, nucleus accumbens, and hippocampus for older adults, and widespread local efficiency primarily for middle-aged individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh Neudorf
- Institute for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Faculty of Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Kelly Shen
- Institute for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Faculty of Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Anthony R. McIntosh
- Institute for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Faculty of Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
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Matthews DB, Koob GF. On the critical need to investigate the effect of alcohol in the older population. Alcohol 2023; 107:2-3. [PMID: 36202275 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas B Matthews
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United States.
| | - George F Koob
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, United States
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