Study Highlights Key Ages For Interventions Against Cognitive Decline

As we age, so does our brain. Aging leads to changes, such as shrinkage and loss of neurons, which can cause cognitive decline. Symptoms like memory loss and slower thinking often become more noticeable as we get older.

Researchers are constantly seeking ways to slow down age-related cognitive decline, including exploring medications, cognitive exercises, and lifestyle changes like diet and exercise. A recent study published in PNAS has found that certain ages may be more effective for interventions aimed at cognitive decline.

Focusing on Brain Networks

The study analyzed brain data from over 19,000 people from the U.K. Biobank and Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. Researchers examined how different brain regions, or networks, communicate across ages.

“Brain networks are groups of brain regions that communicate to perform specific functions,” explained Lilianne R. Mujica-Parodi, PhD, the study’s lead author. These networks can be observed using functional MRI (fMRI) or electroencephalogram (EEG).

How Aging Affects Brain Communication

As we age, brain networks begin to destabilize. They switch between different configurations, sometimes using less energy to maintain connections. This energy-saving strategy may affect cognitive performance.

First Signs of Brain Network Degeneration Around Age 40

The study found that brain networks start to degrade around age 44, with the process accelerating around age 67. By age 90, the decline plateaus.

Mujica-Parodi explains that when systems fail to maintain balance, it causes stress, leading to further degeneration. Chronic diseases, including cognitive decline, often worsen over time because the system becomes too disrupted to fix.

The Critical Age for Intervention

The study suggests that interventions are most effective when brain degeneration is still manageable. Similar to a city experiencing a power outage, when the disruption is brief, the damage can be fixed. But if the power outage lasts too long, the damage becomes irreversible.

The study’s findings suggest that interventions during the 40s may be more effective before the degenerative effects fully take hold by the 60s.

Insulin Resistance and Cognitive Decline

The study also found that insulin resistance in neurons plays a key role in brain aging. This process is driven by a protein linked to Alzheimer’s risk, APOE, and insulin-responsive glucose transporters like GLUT4.

However, researchers discovered that ketones, a type of alternative brain fuel, might protect against this decline. MCT2, a ketone transporter, helps neurons use ketones when glucose is unavailable.

Could a Keto Diet Help Prevent Cognitive Decline?

The research opens the possibility that a ketogenic diet, which promotes ketone production, may help protect against cognitive decline. Verna Porter, MD, a neurologist, finds the potential of using ketones as brain fuel interesting, but stresses that more research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of a keto diet.

Gary Small, MD, chair of psychiatry at Hackensack University, agrees that the research supports the idea of early intervention. He believes that a keto diet could prevent cognitive decline in mid-life, potentially leading to a new strategy for late-life cognitive health.

The findings suggest that adopting lifestyle changes like a keto diet earlier in life could play a significant role in preventing cognitive decline in later years. However, further studies are essential to confirm these results and determine long-term benefits.