Adding fuel to the fire: the impact of stress on the ageing brain

作者：Prenderville Jack A; Kennedy Paul J; Dinan Timothy G; Cryan John F^*

来源：Trends in Neurosciences, 2015, 38(1): 13-25.

DOI：10.1016/j.tins.2014.11.001

Both ageing and chronic stress are associated with altered brain plasticity, dysregulation of the immune system, and an increased risk of developing brain disorders; all of which have consequences for cognitive and emotional processing. Here we examine the similarities between behavioural changes during ageing and stress altered behaviours (anxiety, depressive-like behaviour, cognition, and sociability) in rodents and humans. The molecular mechanisms hypothesised to mediate age-related changes in brain function including dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, dysregulation of neurotransmission and neurotrophic factor signalling, increased inflammatory state, genetic and epigenetic changes, oxidative stress, metabolic changes, and changes in the microbiota-gut-brain axis are discussed. Finally, we explore how the already stressed aged brain psychologically and physiologically responds to external stressors.

• 出版日期2015-1