Parkinson's Disease and Diabetes Mellitus: Individual and Combined Effects on Motor, Cognitive, and Psychosocial Functions.

Background/objective: Understanding the effects of multimorbidity on motor and cognitive function is important for tailoring therapies. Individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM) have a greater risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD). This study investigated if individuals with comorbid PD and DM experienced poorer functional ability compared to individuals with only PD or DM.

The Utility of Cerebrovascular Reactivity MRI in Brain Rehabilitation: A Mechanistic Perspective.

Cerebrovascular control and its integration with other physiological systems play a key role in the effective maintenance of homeostasis in brain functioning. Maintenance, restoration, and promotion of such a balance are one of the paramount goals of brain rehabilitation and intervention programs. Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR), an index of cerebrovascular reserve, plays an important role in chemo-regulation of cerebral blood flow.

The Role of Nutrition and Inflammation on Cognition in a High-Risk Group for Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disease. Treatments are necessary to target people at high risk for AD. Inflammation, particularly tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF), appears to be an important marker associated with the development of AD pathophysiology.

Association between anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 and executive function in African American women at risk for Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: African-Americans (AAs) are 64% more likely to be diagnosed with AD than non-Hispanic Whites. AAs with elevated AD biomarkers exhibit greater neurodegeneration in AD signature regions compared to non-Hispanic Whites with elevated AD biomarkers. This pilot trial examined whether normal or elevated plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-10 are associated with changes in executive function and short-term memory in AA women at risk for developing AD due to parental history.

Aging in the Brain: New Roles of Epigenetics in Cognitive Decline.

Gene expression in the aging brain depends on transcription signals generated by senescent physiology, interacting with genetic and epigenetic programs. In turn, environmental factors influence epigenetic mechanisms, such that an epigenetic-environmental link may contribute to the accumulation of cellular damage, susceptibility or resilience to stressors, and variability in the trajectory of age-related cognitive decline. Epigenetic mechanisms, DNA methylation and histone modifications, alter chromatin structure and the accessibility of DNA.