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The Journals of Gerontology. Series A,... Jan 2024DNA methylation-derived epigenetic clocks offer the opportunity to examine aspects of age acceleration (ie, the difference between an individual's biological age and...
DNA methylation-derived epigenetic clocks offer the opportunity to examine aspects of age acceleration (ie, the difference between an individual's biological age and chronological age), which vary among individuals and may better account for age-related changes in cognitive function than chronological age. Leveraging existing ambulatory cognitive assessments in daily life from a genetically diverse sample of 142 adults in midlife, we examined associations between 5 measures of epigenetic age acceleration and performance on tasks of processing speed and working memory. Covarying for chronological age, we used multilevel models to examine associations of epigenetic age acceleration (Horvath 1, Horvath 2, Hannum, PhenoAge, and GrimAge clocks) with both average level and variability of cognitive performance. Positive age acceleration (ie, epigenetic age greater than chronological age) was associated with poorer mean processing speed (Horvath 1 and 2) and working memory (GrimAge). Higher chronological age was also associated with poorer mean processing speed and working memory performance. Further, positive age acceleration was generally associated with greater intraindividual variability in working memory and processing speed tasks, whereas being chronologically older was associated with less intraindividual variability. Although further work is needed, our results indicate age acceleration effects have comparable or greater size as those for chronological age differences, suggesting that epigenetic age acceleration may account for additional risk and interindividual variation in cognitive performance above chronological age.
Topics: Humans; Aging; Epigenesis, Genetic; DNA Methylation; Cognition; Acceleration
PubMed: 37899644
DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glad242 -
CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics Jul 2023Age and sex are important individual factors modifying the clinical symptoms of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Our goal is to evaluate the effects of age and...
AIMS
Age and sex are important individual factors modifying the clinical symptoms of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Our goal is to evaluate the effects of age and sex on brain networks and clinical manifestations of PD patients.
METHODS
Parkinson's disease participants (n = 198) receiving functional magnetic resonance imaging from Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative database were investigated. Participants were classified into lower quartile group (age rank: 0%~25%), interquartile group (age rank: 26%~75%), and upper quartile group (age rank: 76%~100%) according to their age quartiles to examine how age shapes brain network topology. The differences of brain network topological properties between male and female participants were also investigated.
RESULTS
Parkinson's disease patients in the upper quartile age group exhibited disrupted network topology of white matter networks and impaired integrity of white matter fibers compared to lower quartile age group. In contrast, sex preferentially shaped the small-world topology of gray matter covariance network. Differential network metrics mediated the effects of age and sex on cognitive function of PD patients.
CONCLUSION
Age and sex have diverse effects on brain structural networks and cognitive function of PD patients, highlighting their roles in the clinical management of PD.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Parkinson Disease; Brain; Gray Matter; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; White Matter
PubMed: 36890620
DOI: 10.1111/cns.14149 -
Journal of Experimental Botany Jun 2022The origin of flowering plants (angiosperms) was one of the most transformative events in the history of our planet. Despite considerable interest from multiple research...
The origin of flowering plants (angiosperms) was one of the most transformative events in the history of our planet. Despite considerable interest from multiple research fields, numerous questions remain, including the age of the group as a whole. Recent studies have reported a perplexing range of estimates for the crown-group age of angiosperms, from ~140 million years (Ma; Early Cretaceous) to 270 Ma (Permian). Both ends of the spectrum are now supported by both macroevolutionary analyses of the fossil record and fossil-calibrated molecular dating analyses. Here, we first clarify and distinguish among the three ages of angiosperms: the age of their divergence with acrogymnosperms (stem age); the age(s) of emergence of their unique, distinctive features including flowers (morphological age); and the age of the most recent common ancestor of all their living species (crown age). We then demonstrate, based on recent studies, that fossil-calibrated molecular dating estimates of the crown-group age of angiosperms have little to do with either the amount of molecular data or the number of internal fossil calibrations included. Instead, we argue that this age is almost entirely conditioned by its own prior distribution (typically a calibration density set by the user in Bayesian analyses). Lastly, we discuss which future discoveries or novel types of analyses are most likely to bring more definitive answers. In the meantime, we propose that the age of angiosperms is best described as largely unknown (140-270 Ma) and that contrasting age estimates in the literature mostly reflect conflicting prior distributions. We also suggest that future work that depends on the time scale of flowering plant diversification be designed to integrate over this vexing uncertainty.
Topics: Bayes Theorem; Biological Evolution; Evolution, Molecular; Fossils; Magnoliopsida; Phylogeny; Time
PubMed: 35438718
DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac130 -
Gerontology & Geriatrics Education 2022Universities are experiencing shifts in age distributions of students, with fewer younger students and an increase in the number of people mid-life and beyond seeking...
Universities are experiencing shifts in age distributions of students, with fewer younger students and an increase in the number of people mid-life and beyond seeking education and job training. Thus, there are strong arguments for universities to embrace opportunities to increase age-diversity on campus. This qualitative study explores the challenges, opportunities, and strategies related to university age-diversity from the perspective of Admissions and Career Services staff from one midwestern university. From focus group data, six subthemes were identified as challenges (fitting in; acclimating; stressors; career concerns; return on investment; and ageism/undervaluing age diversity), three subthemes were identified as assets (intentionality; experienced students; and age diverse educational settings) and eight strategies were recommended to better serve an age-diversity student body (support groups; familial supports; social opportunities; job placement; financial aid; targeted outreach; flexibility in learning; and staff support). This article discusses the benefits and challenges of serving older students from the perspective of staff and administrators and provides action steps for universities to promote age-diversity on campus.
Topics: Focus Groups; Geriatrics; Humans; Qualitative Research; Students; Universities
PubMed: 33327882
DOI: 10.1080/02701960.2020.1864345 -
Neuroscience Letters Jul 2022Extended maternal age has been suggested as marker of delayed age-associated disabilities. We use the Long Life Family Study (LLFS) offspring generation to investigate...
Extended maternal age has been suggested as marker of delayed age-associated disabilities. We use the Long Life Family Study (LLFS) offspring generation to investigate the association between extended maternal age at last childbirth and healthy-aging endophenotypes. We hypothesize that women with extended maternal age at last childbirth will exhibit healthier endophenotype profiles compared to younger mothers. The association between maternal age and age-related endophenotypes previously derived in LLFS was assessed using Generalized Estimating Equations to adjust for relatedness. The quartiles of the maternal age at last childbirth were modeled as the independent variables. Univariate analyses tested the association between maternal age at last childbirth and age at clinical assessment, education, field center, Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype, depression, stress, smoking and successful pregnancies. Only the variables significantly associated in the univariate analyses were considered in secondary multivariate analyses. Univariate analyses showed that compared to older mothers (age at last birth ≥35), mothers 30 years old or younger at last childbirth are less educated (12 ± 3 years versus 13 ± 3 years) and have a higher frequency of smoking (9% versus 3% for maternal age ≥35). Results showed that older mothers (age at last birth ≥31-34 or ≥ 35) demonstrated significantly better cognitive profiles (p = 0.017 and p = 0.021 respectively) compared with mothers with last childbirth age ≤30. Later maternal age among women from long-life families is associated with a better cognitive profile, supporting the hypothesis that later age at childbirth may be a marker for healthy aging.
Topics: Adult; Educational Status; Endophenotypes; Female; Humans; Maternal Age; Mothers; Pregnancy; Smoking
PubMed: 35709880
DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2022.136737 -
Journal of Health Economics Jul 2022This paper analyses the effects of maternal age at birth on children's short and long-term outcomes using Finnish register data. We exploit a school starting age rule...
This paper analyses the effects of maternal age at birth on children's short and long-term outcomes using Finnish register data. We exploit a school starting age rule for identification. Mothers who are born after the school entry cut-off give birth at higher age, but total fertility and earnings are unaffected. Being born after the cut-off reduces gestation and, hence, child birth weight. The effects on birth weight and gestation are rather small, however, suggesting that the long-run impacts may be limited. Accordingly, we find no impacts on longer-term child outcomes, such as educational attainment and adolescent crime rates. Thus, using this source of variation, we find no favorable average effects of maternal age at birth on child outcomes.
Topics: Adolescent; Birth Weight; Child; Educational Status; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Maternal Age; Mothers; Schools
PubMed: 35633595
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2022.102637 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2022Self-related information is processed with priority, an effect known as the self-prioritization effect (SPE). Recent studies on SPE show enhanced cognitive processing of...
Self-related information is processed with priority, an effect known as the self-prioritization effect (SPE). Recent studies on SPE show enhanced cognitive processing of the newly learned self-association compared to non-self (such as mother, friend, and stranger) associations among younger and older adults. However, developmental influences on the magnitude of SPE remain poorly understood. In order to examine the developmental impacts on the SPE, in the present study, we recruited participants ranging from 9-22 years of age and divided them into three age groups: older children (age 9-13), teenagers (age 14-17), and young adult (age 18-22) and compared their performance in the matching judgment task. Our results show more significant bias toward self than mother, friend, or stranger condition in all the three age groups, showing robust SPE in the 9-22-year-old age group. We also observed a more significant bias toward mother-association than friend and stranger-association in all the age groups showing an enhanced bias toward mother. Our study extends the SPE in older children and teenagers and shows that SPE remains robust and stable throughout childhood.
PubMed: 35783811
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.726230 -
International Journal of Cosmetic... Oct 2021Accuracy in assessing age from facial cues is important in social perception given reports of strong negative correlations between perceived age and assessments of...
OBJECTIVE
Accuracy in assessing age from facial cues is important in social perception given reports of strong negative correlations between perceived age and assessments of health and attractiveness. In a multi-ethnic and multi-centre study, we previously documented similar patterns of female facial age assessments across ethnicities, influenced by gender and ethnicity of assessors.
METHODS
Here we extend these findings by examining differences between estimated age from digital portraits and chronological age (Δ age) for 180 women from three age groups (20-34, 35-49, 50-66 years) and five ethnicities (36 images of each ethnicity, assessed for age on a continuous scale by 120 female and male raters of each ethnicity).
RESULTS
Across ethnicities, Δ age was smallest in French assessors and largest in South African assessors. Numerically, French women were judged oldest and Chinese women youngest relative to chronological age. In younger women, Δ age was larger than in middle-aged and older women. This effect was particularly evident when considering the interaction of women's age with assessor gender and ethnicity, independently and together, on Δ age.
CONCLUSION
Collectively, our findings suggest that accuracy in assessments of female age from digital portraits depends on the chronological age and ethnicity of the photographed women and the ethnicity and gender of the assessor. We discuss the findings concerning ethnic variation in skin pigmentation and visible signs of ageing and comment on implications for cosmetic science.
Topics: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aging; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Face; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Photography; Physical Appearance, Body; Young Adult
PubMed: 34293190
DOI: 10.1111/ics.12727 -
Aging and Disease Jun 2023Chronological age is an imperfect measure of the aging process, which is affected by a wide range of genetic and environmental exposures. Biological age estimates may be...
Chronological age is an imperfect measure of the aging process, which is affected by a wide range of genetic and environmental exposures. Biological age estimates may be derived using mathematical modelling with biomarkers set as predictors and chronological age as the output. The difference between biological and chronological age is denoted the "age gap" and considered a complementary indicator of aging. The utility of the "age gap" metric is assessed through examination of its associations with exposures of interest and the demonstration of additional information provided by this metric over chronological age alone. This paper reviews the key concepts of biological age estimation, the age gap metric, and approaches to assessment of model performance in this context. We further discuss specific challenges for the field, in particular the limited generalisability of effect sizes across studies owing to dependency of the age gap metric on pre-processing and model building methods. The discussion will be centred on brain age estimation, but the concepts are transferable to all biological age estimation.
PubMed: 37191413
DOI: 10.14336/AD.2022.1107 -
Clinical Epigenetics Nov 2021Hypertension and atherosclerosis may partly originate in early life. Altered epigenetic aging may be a mechanism underlying associations of early-life exposures and the...
BACKGROUND
Hypertension and atherosclerosis may partly originate in early life. Altered epigenetic aging may be a mechanism underlying associations of early-life exposures and the development of cardiovascular risk factors in childhood. A discrepancy between chronological age and age predicted from neonatal DNA methylation data is referred to as age acceleration. It may either be positive, if DNA methylation age is older than clinical age, or negative, if DNA methylation age is younger than chronological age. We examined associations of age acceleration at birth ('gestational age acceleration'), and of age acceleration at school-age, with blood pressure and with intima-media thickness and distensibility of the common carotid artery, as markers of vascular structure and function, respectively, measured at age 10 years.
RESULTS
This study was embedded in the Generation R Study, a population-based prospective cohort study. We included 1115 children with information on cord blood DNA methylation and blood pressure, carotid intima-media thickness or carotid distensibility. Gestational age acceleration was calculated using the Bohlin epigenetic clock, which was developed specifically for cord blood DNA methylation data. It predicts gestational age based on methylation levels of 96 CpGs from HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. We observed no associations of gestational age acceleration with blood pressure, carotid intima-media thickness or carotid distensibility at age 10 years. In analyses among children with peripheral blood DNA methylation measured at age 6 (n = 470) and 10 (n = 449) years, we also observed no associations of age acceleration at these ages with the same cardiovascular outcomes, using the 'skin and blood clock,' which predicts age based on methylation levels at 391 CpGs from HumanMethylation450 BeadChip.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings do not provide support for the hypothesis that altered epigenetic aging during the earliest phase of life is involved in the development of cardiovascular risk factors in childhood.
Topics: Adult; Aging; Child; Cohort Studies; DNA Methylation; Female; Fetal Blood; Gestational Age; Humans; Male; Prospective Studies; Schools
PubMed: 34784966
DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01193-4