Biomechanical forces in the aged brain: Relationship to AD

• Published in: Life sciences (1973) 2023-01, Vol.312, p.121237-121237, Article 121237
• Main Authors: Lee, Gyeong Yun, Kim, Ok-Hyeon, Kim, Eun Ran, Lee, Hyun Jung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aging; Aging - pathology; Alzheimer disease; Alzheimer Disease - pathology; Alzheimer's disease; Amyloid beta-Peptides - metabolism; Biomechanical cues; biomechanics; Brain; Brain - metabolism; Humans; Microenvironment; neurodegenerative diseases; pathogenesis; Plaque, Amyloid - pathology
• ISSN: 0024-3205; 1879-0631
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.121237

The pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, has been studied with a focus on biochemical mechanisms, such as the amyloid-β plaque deposition and removal. Recently, the importance of brain microenvironmental cues, which comprise the sophisticated cellular and fluid system, has been emphasized in the aged brain or in pathological conditions. Especially, substrate rigidity and biomechanical forces of the brain microenvironment determine the function of glial cells and neurons; furthermore, these microenvironmental cues change with age. However, our understanding of role of the biomechanical cues on glial cells and neurons is relatively poor. In this review, we briefly introduce an overview of biomechanical forces that present in the aged brain and its sensations, and then examine the brain in Alzheimer's disease, which constitutes a representative neurodegenerative disorder, with regard to changes in the biomechanical forces associated with disease and aging. [Display omitted] •Brain microenvironmental cues are changed as the brain aged or in pathological condition.•Biomechanical forces of the brain determine the function of glial cells and neurons.•Glial cells/neurons of the aging brain might be more susceptible to pathological conditions by altered biomechanical stimuli.