About this Research Topic
Recent longitudinal studies indicate that frequent heavy drinking and Alcohol Use Disorder is associated with increased risk for developing all types of dementia, especially early onset dementia. The neurobiological mechanisms underpinning alcohol-induced cognitive decline require more intensive study, particularly as it relates to how alcohol exposure during different development stages impacts the brain aging process.
The goal of this Research Topic is to provide behavioral neuroscientists a forum to disseminate data regarding how alcohol impacts neurobiology to drive the onset and progression of cognitive decline and dementia (to include Alzheimer's disease and related disorders). We welcome submissions from clinical and basic scientists studying the impact of alcohol exposure across the lifespan upon biopsychological development and the onset of neuropsychiatric disease.
This Research Topic encourages submission of original research articles, mini-reviews, both systematic and standard reviews, Hypothesis and Theory articles, Perspectives, Clinical Trial or Case Reports that focus on the topic of alcohol and aging, to generate integrative understanding of alcohol's impacts on cognitive function. Themes may include but are not limited to:
• Determining the differential effects of alcohol on pathology of neural cell populations, brain regions, neural circuits and/or large scale network (connectomes) associated with onset and progression of dementia, across a spectrum of alcohol drinking patterns (chronic alcohol use or abuse, late-onset alcohol drinking, alcohol withdrawal) and doses (moderate and heavy).
• Examination of how alcohol modulates neuroinflammation or neuroimmune interactions associated with pathologic aging and dementias.
• Study of how alcohol alters disease progression through changes in the epigenetic or transcriptomic landscape of the aged brain and how genetic variants may contribute to the heterogeneity of alcohol effects on progression of neurodegeneration in aging and diseased states.
• Characterization of the molecular, cellular, synaptic and neural circuitry mechanisms underlying brain plasticity and resilience in counteracting alcohol effects on the vulnerability to neurodegeneration in aging.
• Determination of how alcohol's effects on the neuroendocrine system contribute to neuropathological and cognitive functional changes associated with AD or heavy alcohol consumption.
• Investigation into sex differences in alcohol's impact on the vulnerability to develop dementia and progression of Alzheimer's disease.
• Study of how neurovascular impairment plays a role in AD or cognitive decline associated chronic heavy alcohol consumption and how alcohol impacts disease progression through peripheral and central interactions.
• Determination of how alcohol exposure across the lifespan, including prenatal or adolescent alcohol exposure, impact susceptibility to and development of Alzheimer's disease and its related dementias.
The goal of this Research Topic is to provide behavioral neuroscientists a forum to disseminate data regarding how alcohol impacts neurobiology to drive the onset and progression of cognitive decline and dementia (to include Alzheimer's disease and related disorders). We welcome submissions from clinical and basic scientists studying the impact of alcohol exposure across the lifespan upon biopsychological development and the onset of neuropsychiatric disease.
This Research Topic encourages submission of original research articles, mini-reviews, both systematic and standard reviews, Hypothesis and Theory articles, Perspectives, Clinical Trial or Case Reports that focus on the topic of alcohol and aging, to generate integrative understanding of alcohol's impacts on cognitive function. Themes may include but are not limited to:
• Determining the differential effects of alcohol on pathology of neural cell populations, brain regions, neural circuits and/or large scale network (connectomes) associated with onset and progression of dementia, across a spectrum of alcohol drinking patterns (chronic alcohol use or abuse, late-onset alcohol drinking, alcohol withdrawal) and doses (moderate and heavy).
• Examination of how alcohol modulates neuroinflammation or neuroimmune interactions associated with pathologic aging and dementias.
• Study of how alcohol alters disease progression through changes in the epigenetic or transcriptomic landscape of the aged brain and how genetic variants may contribute to the heterogeneity of alcohol effects on progression of neurodegeneration in aging and diseased states.
• Characterization of the molecular, cellular, synaptic and neural circuitry mechanisms underlying brain plasticity and resilience in counteracting alcohol effects on the vulnerability to neurodegeneration in aging.
• Determination of how alcohol's effects on the neuroendocrine system contribute to neuropathological and cognitive functional changes associated with AD or heavy alcohol consumption.
• Investigation into sex differences in alcohol's impact on the vulnerability to develop dementia and progression of Alzheimer's disease.
• Study of how neurovascular impairment plays a role in AD or cognitive decline associated chronic heavy alcohol consumption and how alcohol impacts disease progression through peripheral and central interactions.
• Determination of how alcohol exposure across the lifespan, including prenatal or adolescent alcohol exposure, impact susceptibility to and development of Alzheimer's disease and its related dementias.
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
