Recruiting Adaptive Cellular Stress Responses for Successful Brain Aging

摘要

Successful aging is determined in part by genetic background, but also by experiential factors associated with lifestyle and culture. Dietary, behavioral and pharmacological interventions have been identified as potential means to slow brain aging and forestall neurodegenerative disease. Many of these interventions recruit adaptive cellular stress responses to strengthen neuronal networks and enhance plasticity. In this Perspective, we describe several determinants of healthy and pathological brain aging, with insights into how these processes are accelerated or prevented. We also describe the mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective actions of exercise and nutritional interventions, with the goal of recruiting these molecular targets for the treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative disease.