Brain aging - what do we know?
According to scientific reports, the average brain weight at the age of 20 is about 1400 g, but by the age of 65 it decreases to 1300 g. Chinese authors state that brain aging process promotes changes at biochemical, cellular, structural, and functional levels. In particular, there are ten hallmarks of brain aging on molecular level, including stem cell inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, intracellular accumulation of oxidatively damaged molecules, dysregulated energy metabolism, and neuronal calcium homeostasis. The time of first signs varies among individuals and generally may appear at the fifth decade of life. Nonetheless, such factors as stress, diet, smoking, and alcohol intake can impact cognitive function earlier. Some genetic risk factors may also predispose a higher rate of brain aging. Recent research efforts allowed to discover several molecular biomarkers that are indicative of brain aging process. That may help to evaluate and study physiological and humoral measurements to serve for future anti-brain aging interventions.