Biochimica et biophysica acta
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Physical activity has been recognized as an important protective factor reducing disability and mortality and therefore it is focus of many health promotion activities at all ages. More recently a growing body of literature is focusing whether physical activity could also have a positive impact on brain aging with exploring healthy brain aging as well as on cognitive impairment and dementia. An increasing number of prospective studies and randomized controlled trials involving humans take place both with older adults with normal cognition as well as with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. ⋯ Increasingly research into underlying mechanisms in relation to physical activity and brain aging identify biomarker candidates with especially neuroimaging measurements being more used in trials with humans. Whilst the evidence base is slowly growing more detailed research is needed to address methodological issues to finally achieve clinical relevance. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Imaging Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative disease.
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Biochim. Biophys. Acta · Mar 2012
ReviewDiffusion tensor imaging of cerebral white matter integrity in cognitive aging.
In this article we review recent research on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of white matter (WM) integrity and the implications for age-related differences in cognition. Neurobiological mechanisms defined from DTI analyses suggest that a primary dimension of age-related decline in WM is a decline in the structural integrity of myelin, particularly in brain regions that myelinate later developmentally. Research integrating behavioral measures with DTI indicates that WM integrity supports the communication among cortical networks, particularly those involving executive function, perceptual speed, and memory (i.e., fluid cognition). ⋯ Neurocognitive disorders for which older adults are at risk, such as depression, further modulate the relation between WM and cognition, in ways that are not as yet entirely clear. Developments in DTI technology are providing a new insight into both the neurobiological mechanisms of aging WM and the potential contribution of DTI to understanding functional measures of brain activity. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Imaging Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative disease.
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Although in the last decade brain activation in healthy aging and dementia was mainly studied using task-activation fMRI, there is increasing interest in task-induced decreases in brain activity, termed deactivations. These deactivations occur in the so-called default mode network (DMN). In parallel a growing number of studies focused on spontaneous, ongoing 'baseline' activity in the DMN. ⋯ Even subjects at risk for developing AD, either in terms of having amyloid plaques or carrying the APOE4 allele, showed disruptions in the DMN. While fMRI is a useful tool for detecting changes in DMN functional connectivity and deactivation, more work needs to be conducted to conclude whether these measures will become useful as a clinical diagnostic tool in AD. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Imaging Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative disease.
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Biochim. Biophys. Acta · Jan 2012
ReviewThe two faces of mast cells in food allergy and allergic asthma: the possible concept of Yin Yang.
The purpose of this review is to discuss the role of mast cells in allergic inflammation. We have focused on inflammation associated with allergic asthma and food allergy. Mast cells are 'first line of defense' innate/adaptive immune cells and are widely distributed in tissues in surfaces exposed to the environment. ⋯ Recent studies revealed that mast cells, besides the classical role of pro-inflammatory effector cell, have also emerged as modulators of allergic sensitization and down-regulators of allergic inflammation. Therefore, mast cells can be regarded as 'Ying Yan' modulators in allergic responses in intestinal tract and airways. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Mast Cells in Inflammation.
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Mast cells are well known for their role in allergic and anaphylactic reactions, as well as their involvement in acquired and innate immunity. Increasing evidence now implicates mast cells in inflammatory diseases where they are activated by non-allergic triggers, such as neuropeptides and cytokines, often exerting synergistic effects as in the case of IL-33 and neurotensin. Mast cells can also release pro-inflammatory mediators selectively without degranulation. ⋯ Understanding selective release of mediators could explain how mast cells participate in numerous diverse biologic processes, and how they exert both immunostimulatory and immunosuppressive actions. Unraveling selective mast cell secretion could also help develop unique mast cell inhibitors with novel therapeutic applications. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Mast cells in inflammation.