NUVASCOG

NUtrition and microVAScular dynamics in COGnitive health

 Partecipanti

Mappa

 Word cloud

Esplora la "nuvola delle parole (Word Cloud) per avere un'idea di massima del progetto.

 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'This IRG will support my return to the EU as a Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Neuroscience at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, bringing state-of-the-art science and technology, collaborations, and excellent prospects for reintegration and the enhancement of European competitiveness. My research aims to elucidate the metabolic basis of brain aging and develop interventions for preventing dementia and brain vascular disease. We address a timely and fundamental question regarding microvascular mechanisms of cognitive decline. Our central hypothesis is that impairment of brain microvascular plasticity due to age, diet or disease, is a pivotal mechanism of cognitive decline. Building on outstanding prior research, we predict that that folate deficiency and aging will limit brain circulation and oxygen delivery by diminishing microvascular plasticity, thus ultimately impairing cognition. Specific aims are to: 1) Test the hypothesis that impaired brain circulation and oxygen delivery due to aberrant microvascular plasticity impairs cognition in both folate-deficiency and aging; and 2) Identify folate- and age-responsive pathways that regulate brain microvascular plasticity. We will use a conceptually and technically innovative approach to measure cognitive function, brain microvascular plasticity, and brain circulation and oxygen delivery with our proprietary near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) system. These studies will help delineate the role of microvascular plasticity in cognitive function; establish a new animal model of vascular cognitive impairment; establish quantitative anatomical and non-invasive functional measures of microvascular health for basic and pre-clinical research; and identify one or more diet-responsive microvascular signaling pathways. These outcomes are significant because they will provide actionable insight into the role of nutritional factors in modifying microvascular plasticity for the prevention of age-related cognitive decline.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Promoting healthy ageing is of increasing concern, particularly in Europe where ageing population numbers are steadily rising. EU-funded researchers are investigating the effect of diet and ageing on cognitive health.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

To quote John F. Kennedy, 'Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity'. The impact of good nutrition and lifestyle on healthy ageing cannot be discounted.

Scientists on the project 'Nutrition and microvascular dynamics in cognitive health' (NUVASCOG) are working to determine the effects of ageing and nutrition on cognitive health and microvascular dynamics. For this purpose, they will combine major experimental systems involving assessing animal behaviour, cerebrovascular physiology and neurovascular anatomy.

More specifically, scientists will assess the effect of folate deficiency and ageing on microvascular plasticity and cognitive impairment using young and old rats. Efforts will be made to identify diet- and age-responsive signalling pathways involved in regulating microvascular plasticity in the brain. A proprietary near-infrared spectroscopy system will be used for the experiments.

Young and old rats were placed on either regular or folate-deficient diets. Those on folate-deficient diets were given supplemental methionine to determine if damage caused by deficiency can be reversed. Researchers successfully completed the studies on young animals and work is ongoing on older rats.

Preliminary findings were presented at national and international conferences and manuscripts are in preparation. Project activities will provide unprecedented insight into nutritional factors that can modulate brain microvascular plasticity. This is turn can be used to develop interventions that can halt or reverse age-related cognitive impairment.