Dynamic retinal vessel analysis: flickering a light into the brain.

Introduction: Growing aging populations pose new challenges to public health as the number of people living with dementia grows in tandem. To alleviate the burden of dementia, prodromal signs of cognitive impairment must be recognized and risk factors reduced. In this context, non-invasive techniques may be used to identify early changes and monitor disease progression.

COVID-19 Exacerbates Neurovascular Uncoupling and Contributes to Endothelial Dysfunction in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) affects nearly 20% of older adults worldwide, with no targetable interventions for prevention. COVID-19 adversely affects cognition, with >70% of older adults with Long COVID presenting with cognitive complaints. Neurovascular coupling (NVC), an essential mechanism of cognitive function, declines with aging and is further attenuated in neurocognitive disorders.

Time-restricted eating for prevention of age-related vascular cognitive decline in older adults: A protocol for a single-arm open-label interventional trial.

Age-related cerebromicrovascular endothelial dysfunction underlies the initiation and progression of cognitive dysfunction and dementia, thus increasing the susceptibility of older adults to such conditions. Normal brain function requires dynamic adjustment of cerebral blood flow to meet the energetic demands of active neurons, which is achieved the homeostatic mechanism neurovascular coupling (NVC). In this context, therapeutical strategies aimed at rescuing or preserving NVC responses can delay the incidence or mitigate the severity of age-related cognitive dysfunction, and time-restricted eating (TRE) is a potential candidate for such a strategy.

Energy metabolism dysregulation, cerebrovascular aging, and time-restricted eating: Current evidence and proof-of-concept findings.

Dysregulated energy metabolism is a hallmark of aging, including brain aging; thus, strategies to restore normal metabolic regulation are at the forefront of aging research. Intermittent fasting, particularly time-restricted eating (TRE), is one of these strategies. Despite its well-established effectiveness in improving metabolic outcomes in older adults, the effect of TRE on preserving or improving cerebrovascular health during aging remains underexplored.