The researchers set out to gain a deeper understanding of the brain’s aging process, as the incidence of neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia increases with aging, but effective treatments are limited.
They used multimodal brain imaging data for 10,949 healthy adults aged 45-82 to investigate potential markers of brain aging. They then analyzed the concentration of around 3,000 proteins in the blood plasma of nearly 5,000 people, using data from the UK Biobank.
The researchers identified 13 proteins that have a strong association with biological aging of the brain, most notably Brevican, a central nervous system protein. Levels of this protein, as well as the GDF15 protein in the blood, were also associated with dementia, stroke and motor functions.
Moreover, changes in blood concentrations of these proteins were found to peak at 57, 70, and 78 years in humans, suggesting that these ages may be important for potential interventions in the process.
The researchers point out that early detection and intervention in brain aging could help us prevent neurodegenerative disorders. They note, however, that their research focused on elderly people of European descent, so future research should investigate the role of these proteins in different ages and ethnicities.