Aging in the Complex Brain-Muscular-Behavioral System

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Systems Neuroscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 August 2021) | Viewed by 10888

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Aix-Marseille Université and CNRS, UMR 7287 Institut des Sciences du Mouvement Etienne-Jules Marey, Marseille, France
Interests: My work focuses on the dynamics of the relationships between Brain, Mind and Body during healthy aging. I'm the head of the Chair Active Aging 2.0, which is a big projects (2019-2022) aiming at exploring the plasticity of the Brain-Mind-Body System under the effect of physical, muscular, motor control and/or cognitive training, in particular those delivered via exergames.

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Understanding the mechanisms underlying age-related decline across multiple functional subsystems ranks highly on the agenda of both the scientific community and society. To achieve this objective, the most commonly adopted approach in aging research has emphasized dividing the neuro–musculo–skeletal system (NMSS) into smaller and, presumably, more tractable units. From this perspective, the decline in neural, cognitive, sensori-motor, and muscular functioning is generally considered as occurring in separate domains, each having its own evolution over time. During the last 30 years, this approach has considerably improved our understanding of how aging affects the different levels and functional sub-systems of the organism. However, it has also made aging research a complicated intellectual puzzle, with pieces that do not necessarily fit together, hence limiting our understanding of the aging NMSS as a whole. Growing evidence demonstrates that aging not only leads to structural and functional alterations of individual components of the neuro-Brain-Muscular-Behavioral system (NMSS) but also results in a systemic re-organization of interactions within and between the different levels and functional domains. Understanding the principles that drive the dynamics of this re-organization is an important challenge for aging research. The present Special Issue aims at contributing to our knowledge in this direction.

The aim of this Special Issue is to contribute to a better understanding of the aging phenomenon, considered as a dynamic process which affects the complexity of a system (neural, cognitive, muscular, cardiovascular, etc.) and/or the interactions between several functional systems (e.g., cognitive–motor, cardio–vascular–brain–cognition, muscular–cognition, etc.). The expected contributions may concern the intrinsic dynamics of aging or those resulting from the separate effects of physical, muscular, or cognitive exercise, or, even better, from the combination of several types of exercise, including Tai Chi or dance interventions. Contributions on the effects of cognitive–motor training delivered via exergames on changes in behavioral adaptability are welcome.

Reviews, Theory and hypotheses, Opinion paper, Experimental studies, Randomized Controlled Trials all can submit to this Special Issue.

Prof. Jean-Jacques Temprado
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Aging
  • Systemic Approach
  • Complexity
  • Brain Plasticity
  • Cognitive-Motor Interactions
  • Motor Behavior
  • Exercise/Exergames

Published Papers (3 papers)

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14 pages, 1627 KiB  
Article
Longitudinal Impact of Physical Activity on Brain Pulsatility Index and Cognition in Older Adults with Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A NIRS Study
by Hanieh Mohammadi, Christine Gagnon, Thomas Vincent, Ali Kassab, Sarah Fraser, Anil Nigam, Frédéric Lesage and Louis Bherer
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(6), 730; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11060730 - 31 May 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3461
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that optical indices of cerebral pulsatility, including cerebral pulse amplitude, are linked to cerebrovascular health. A chronically higher cerebral pulsatility is associated with cognitive decline. Although it is widely known that regular physical activity improves cognitive functions, little is [...] Read more.
Recent studies have shown that optical indices of cerebral pulsatility, including cerebral pulse amplitude, are linked to cerebrovascular health. A chronically higher cerebral pulsatility is associated with cognitive decline. Although it is widely known that regular physical activity improves cognitive functions, little is known about the association between physical activity and the optical index of cerebral pulsatility. This study assessed the impact of 12 months of regular physical activity on the changes in the optical index of cerebral pulsatility and explored its association with cognition. A total of 19 older adults (aged 59–79 years) with cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) completed the study. Low-intensity, short-duration walking as a brief cardiovascular challenge was used to study the impact of regular physical activity on post-walking changes in cerebral pulsatility index. The participants walked on a gym track while a near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) device recorded hemodynamics data from the frontal and motor cortex subregions. Our data indicated that 12 months of physical activity was associated with lower global cerebral pulse amplitude, which was associated with higher cognitive scores in executive functions. Further, the global cerebral pulsatility index was reduced after short-duration walking, and this reduction was greater after 12 months of regular physical activity compared with the baseline. This may be an indication of improvement in cerebrovascular response to the cardiovascular challenge after regular physical activity. This study suggests that 12 months of physical activity may support cognitive functions through improving cerebral pulsatility in older adults with CVRF. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aging in the Complex Brain-Muscular-Behavioral System)
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13 pages, 2295 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Diabetes on Multisensory Integration and Mobility in Aging
by Jeannette R. Mahoney, Joe Verghese and Claudene George
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(3), 285; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11030285 - 25 Feb 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1985
Abstract
(1) Background: one out of every four adults over the age of 65 are living with diabetes, and this alarming rate continues to increase with age. Diabetes in older adults is associated with many adverse health outcomes, including sensory and motor impairments. The [...] Read more.
(1) Background: one out of every four adults over the age of 65 are living with diabetes, and this alarming rate continues to increase with age. Diabetes in older adults is associated with many adverse health outcomes, including sensory and motor impairments. The objective of this exploratory study was to determine whether diabetes influences the interplay between multisensory integration processes and mobility in aging. (2) Methods: in this cross-sectional observational study, we recruited 339 non-demented older adults (76.59 ± 6.21 years; 52% female, 18% with diabetes). Participants completed a simple reaction time test in response to visual, somatosensory, and combined visual-somatosensory stimulation. Magnitude of visual-somatosensory integration was computed and served as the independent variable. (3) Results: logistic regression revealed that presence of diabetes was inversely associated with the magnitude of visual-somatosensory integration (β = −3.21; p < 0.01). Further, mediation models revealed that presence of diabetes negatively influenced the relationship of visual–somatosensory integration magnitude with balance (95% CI −0.16, −0.01) and gait (95% CI −0.09, −0.01). Participants with diabetes and taking insulin (n = 14) failed to integrate sensory information entirely; (4) conclusions: taken together, results from this exploration provide compelling evidence to support the adverse effect of diabetes on both multisensory and motor functioning in older adults. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aging in the Complex Brain-Muscular-Behavioral System)
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17 pages, 4586 KiB  
Systematic Review
The Impact of Exercise Intervention with Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation to Improve Gait and Mobility in Parkinson Disease: An Umbrella Review
by Roberta Forte, Nicoletta Tocci and Giuseppe De Vito
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(6), 685; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11060685 - 22 May 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4852
Abstract
Difficulties in walking, controlling balance, and performing activities of daily living are common problems encountered by individuals affected by Parkinson disease. Scientific evidence suggests that exercise performed with music or auditory or rhythmical cues facilitates movement and improves balance, gait, mobility, and activities [...] Read more.
Difficulties in walking, controlling balance, and performing activities of daily living are common problems encountered by individuals affected by Parkinson disease. Scientific evidence suggests that exercise performed with music or auditory or rhythmical cues facilitates movement and improves balance, gait, mobility, and activities of daily living (ADL) performance in patients with PD. The aim of this umbrella review was to summarize available high-quality evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the effectiveness of rhythmically cued exercise to improve gait, mobility, and ADL performance in individuals with PD. PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases were searched from January 2010 to October 2020 for systematic reviews and meta-analyses which had to be (1) written in English, (2) include studies on populations of males and females with PD of any age, (3) analyze outcomes related to gait, mobility, and ADL, and (4) apply exercise interventions with music or auditory or rhythmical cues. Two independent authors screened potentially eligible studies and assessed the methodological quality of the studies using the AMSTAR 2 tool. Four studies, two systematic reviews and meta-analyses, one a systematic review, and one a meta-analysis, were selected. Overall results indicated positive effects for gait and mobility of the use of rhythmic auditory cueing with exercise and suggested that it should be incorporated into a regular rehabilitation program for patients affected by PD. Nonetheless, more primary level research is needed to address the identified gaps regarding the application of this method to physical exercise interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aging in the Complex Brain-Muscular-Behavioral System)
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