Neuroglia In The Aging Brain

A distinguished panel of internationally recognized neuroscientists comprehensively review the involvement of and changes in glial cells both during the normal aging process and in the major disorders of old age. Topics range from the cellular and molecular changes that occur with aging-especially aging-associated activation of astrocytes and microglia and its relation to neuronal injury and repair-to neuron-glia intercommunication. The contributors show how glial signals may be modulated by hormones, growth factors, neurotransmitters, intracellular metabolism, and intercellular exchanges, as well as by aging of the blood-brain barrier.

A superb source of reference reviews as well as a concise overview of the functional cross-talk between neurons and glial cells, this book also focuses on microglia and inflammation in the aging brain and in neurological disorders. The scientific spectrum covered by this book is of key interest, and is recognized by the scientific community as a major competitive area with critical implications for human health.

Recognition that aging is not the accumulation of disease, but rather comprises fundamental biological processes that are amenable to experimental study, is the basis for the recent growth of experimental biogerontology. As increasingly sophisticated studies provide greater understanding of what occurs in the aging brain and how these changes occur

Microglia are largely known as the major orchestrators of the brain inflammatory response. As such, they have been traditionally studied in various contexts of disease, where their activation has been assumed to induce a wide range of detrimental effects. In the last few years, a series of discoveries have challenged the current view of microglia, showing their active and positive contribution to normal brain function. This Research Topic reviewed the novel physiological roles of microglia in the developing, mature and aging brain, under non-pathological conditions. In particular, this Research Topic discussed the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which microglia contribute to the formation, pruning and plasticity of synapses; the regulation of adult neurogenesis as well as hippocampal learning and memory; among other important roles. Because these novel findings defy our understanding of microglial function in health as much as in disease, this Research Topic also summarized the current view of microglial nomenclature, phenotypes, origin and differentiation, and contribution to various brain pathologies. Additionally, novel imaging approaches and molecular tools to study microglia in their non-activated state have been discussed. In conclusion, this Research Topic seeked to emphasize how the current research in neuroscience is challenged by never-resting microglia.

There are currently about 21 million people over 6S years in the United States and over a million of them suffer from a severe degree of mental impairment. This number will undoubtedly increase as more and more people attain their full lifespan. The Veterans Administration is acutely aware of this problem in the population it serves. Currently, there are about 31 million veterans in the United States. About 13 percent of these veterans are over 6S years of age and the number is expected to increase to 40 percent by the turn of the century. In recognition of the pressing need to address this problem, eight Geriatric Research, Educational and Clinical Centers (GRECC) have been established under the auspices of the Veterans Administration and the guiding spirit of Dr. Paul Haber, Assistant Chief Medical Director for Professional Services, Veterans Administration. The purpose of these centers is to develop a better understanding of the complex biomedical and socio-economic problems of the aged in general and to enhance the quality of life of the older veterans in particular o Gerontologists working towards a better understanding of the aging process and better care of the aged have made major progress in the biomedical field in the last decade. Among the efforts made by the Veterans Administration, the department of Extended Care and Academic Affairs have sponsored a number of symposia in the field of Gerontology.

Development and Aging in the Nervous System covers the proceedings of a series of symposia by the same title, held at the University of Miami Training Program in Cellular Aging on February 19-20, 1973. This book is composed of 11 chapters that specifically consider aging in its total sense, from embryonic development through senescence of a vital organ system of the body. The introductory chapters review the age changes in the neuronal microenvironment and the regulative mechanism of neuronal death in cell number control in the nervous system. The next chapters deal with the neuronal degeneration in aging mammals, the selected changes in the developing postnatal rat, and the trophic influences in the mammalian central nervous system. These topics are followed by discussions of the genesis of neuronal locus specificity, the vertebrate brain aging, and the neurochemical patterns in the developing and aging brain. The remaining chapters describe the mechanisms of enzymatic differentiation in the brain and in cultured cells and the monoamine metabolism in the aging male mouse. This book will prove useful to development and cell biologists, researchers, and advance students.