About this Research Topic
The relationship between humans and other animals has evolved significantly, recognizing other animals as sentient beings. This shift enhances our understanding of the physiological brain-mind-behavior nexus across different species – including laboratory and veterinary-interest animals- at various stages of development, especially concerning brain aging.
Geriatric animals present an opportunity to study chronic and age-related declines in both physical and cognitive capacities/abilities. As Engel and Schneiderman elegantly posited in 1984, the central nervous system's primary function is to optimize interactions with the environment. This perspective suggests that health conditions, living environment (natural or experimental setting), familial and interspecies social interactions shape brain development and behavioral expression. Such interactions are integral to our understanding, especially when viewed through an epigenetic lens where behavior and environment potentially alter gene function.
This Research Topic aims to deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying physiological brain aging, and associated behavioral disorders when physiology turns towards pathology.
Through cross-species analysis of novel molecular markers of brain aging, we aim to identify potential intervention targets and foster translational neuroscience advancements within an integrated One Health approach.
We welcome contributions of Original Research, Reviews, Case Reports, and Case Series that address the following subtopics:
• Physiological Brain Aging: Explore the decline in functional and cognitive capabilities and identify aging hallmarks in healthy brain, drawing from existing literature
• Molecular and Cellular Aging: Investigate the relationship between increasing chronological age and brain aging, focusing on molecular, intercellular and intracellular changes, as well as potential changes in the mechanisms underlying learning and memory processes.
• Cross-Species Aging markers: Examine neurotransmitter alterations[ DA, 5-HT, GABA, Glut] and their impact on dopaminergic pathways levels, monoamine oxidase levels. mitochondrial dysfunction, calcium dysregulation, and reactive oxygen species
• Neurobehavioral disorders: Study mood and cognitive disorders and their connection to dysregulated neurotransmitter levels in aging with a focus on phobias, anxiety, alcohol and substance misuse in older adults, and other behavioral disturbances such as changes in learning behavior
• Omics in aging: Utilize genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, microbiomics, and lipidomics to analyze patterns of cellular degradation in the CNS.
• Preclinical and clinical research: Findings from empirical studies in both preclinical and clinical settings to investigate brain aging and related behavioral disturbances across species
• One Health approach: Improve dissemination of knowledge and data collection that benefits both human and animal models through an integrated One Health approach
Geriatric animals present an opportunity to study chronic and age-related declines in both physical and cognitive capacities/abilities. As Engel and Schneiderman elegantly posited in 1984, the central nervous system's primary function is to optimize interactions with the environment. This perspective suggests that health conditions, living environment (natural or experimental setting), familial and interspecies social interactions shape brain development and behavioral expression. Such interactions are integral to our understanding, especially when viewed through an epigenetic lens where behavior and environment potentially alter gene function.
This Research Topic aims to deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying physiological brain aging, and associated behavioral disorders when physiology turns towards pathology.
Through cross-species analysis of novel molecular markers of brain aging, we aim to identify potential intervention targets and foster translational neuroscience advancements within an integrated One Health approach.
We welcome contributions of Original Research, Reviews, Case Reports, and Case Series that address the following subtopics:
• Physiological Brain Aging: Explore the decline in functional and cognitive capabilities and identify aging hallmarks in healthy brain, drawing from existing literature
• Molecular and Cellular Aging: Investigate the relationship between increasing chronological age and brain aging, focusing on molecular, intercellular and intracellular changes, as well as potential changes in the mechanisms underlying learning and memory processes.
• Cross-Species Aging markers: Examine neurotransmitter alterations[ DA, 5-HT, GABA, Glut] and their impact on dopaminergic pathways levels, monoamine oxidase levels. mitochondrial dysfunction, calcium dysregulation, and reactive oxygen species
• Neurobehavioral disorders: Study mood and cognitive disorders and their connection to dysregulated neurotransmitter levels in aging with a focus on phobias, anxiety, alcohol and substance misuse in older adults, and other behavioral disturbances such as changes in learning behavior
• Omics in aging: Utilize genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, microbiomics, and lipidomics to analyze patterns of cellular degradation in the CNS.
• Preclinical and clinical research: Findings from empirical studies in both preclinical and clinical settings to investigate brain aging and related behavioral disturbances across species
• One Health approach: Improve dissemination of knowledge and data collection that benefits both human and animal models through an integrated One Health approach
Keywords: brain aging, animal models, proteomics, metabolomics, DA, 5-HT, GABA, Glut, dopaminergic pathways decline, cognitive disorders, learning, memory, geriatric models
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.
