Ageing, neuronal connectivity and XXXX : an unsolved ripple effect.

@entity1 @entity75 @entity73 @entity409 @entity179 @entity195 @entity2414
@entity73 associated with ageing and age-related disorders emerges as one of the greatest health challenges in the next decades. To date, the molecular mechanisms underlying the onset of neuronal physiological changes in the central nervous system remain unclear. Functional MRI and PET studies have indicated the @entity2414 performance in older adults. Similarly, age-related disorders, such as @entity195 , are associated with changes in the prefontral cortex and related neural circuitry, which underlines the decline of integrative function between different brain regions. This is mainly attributed to the loss of synaptic connectivity, which is a feature commonly observed in @entity179 . In @entity1 , the morphological and functional changes in neurons, such as reduction of spine numbers and @entity409 , precede the first signs of @entity73 and likely contribute to pathology progression. Thus, a new scenario emerges in which apparently unrelated diseases present common features, such as the remodelling of neuronal circuitries promoted by ageing. For many years, ageing was considered a process of @entity73 triggered by accidental environmental factors. Conversely, it is now evident that ageing is a biological process tightly controlled by evolutionary highly conserved signalling pathways. Importantly, genetic mutations that enhance longevity significantly delay the loss of synaptic connectivity and, therefore, the onset of age-related @entity75 . Accordingly, tweaking ageing might be an attractive approach to prevent @entity73 caused by age-related @entity409 .
