Unveiling the glymphatic system's role in brain aging: A comprehensive biomarker and modifiable intervention target.

Yuanyuan Fang, Wenxi Luo, Hao Huang, Lusen Ran, Yuqin He, Chang Cheng, Yao Yao, Yuxiang Hou, Haibo Zheng, Dengji Pan, Shabei Xu, Xiang Luo, Tingting Qin, Xingjie Hao, Feng Lu, Wei Wang, Minghuan Wang

Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. · pubmed

Paper

Abstract

The focus of this study is to investigate the role of diffusion tensor imaging along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index in brain aging. To address this, we first examined the association of DTI-ALPS with aging hallmarks among 40,488 UK Biobank (UKB) participants. Next, we developed normative brain age models incorporating the DTI-ALPS index from 12,401 healthy UKB adults and validated in UKB-ADNI and UKB-TALENT datasets. Finally, we explored the relationship between brain age gap (BAG) with peripheral organ function, chronic diseases, proteomics, and genetics, while identifying modifiable factors in a longitudinal cohort. The findings revealed that DTI-ALPS index correlated with chronological age, telomere length, brain structure, and cognition. A brain age model integrating the DTI-ALPS index achieved good accuracy in the UKB (

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Research summary

The study claims that the DTI-ALPS index is associated with aging hallmarks and can serve as a biomarker for brain aging. This paper is relevant as it investigates a potential modifiable intervention target related to the glymphatic system and its implications for brain aging, which aligns with understanding and addressing the root causes of aging.

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