(Press-News.org) Contact information: Joseph Carey
jcarey@txbiomed.org
210-258-9437
Texas Biomedical Research Institute
Brain aging is conclusively linked to genes
Finding is crucial step in determining normal aging
	For the first time in a large study sample, the decline in brain function in normal aging is conclusively shown to be influenced by genes, say researchers from the Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio and Yale University.
 "Identification of genes associated with brain aging should improve our understanding of the biological processes that govern normal age-related decline," said John Blangero, Ph.D., a Texas Biomed geneticist and the senior author of the paper. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH),  is published in the November 4, 2013 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of  Sciences. David Glahn, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, is the first author on the paper.
In large pedigrees including 1,129 people aged 18 to 83, the scientists documented profound aging effects from young adulthood to old age, on neurocognitive ability and brain white matter measures. White matter actively affects how the brain learns and functions. Genetic material shared amongst biological relatives appears to predict the observed changes in brain function with age.
Participants were enrolled in the Genetics of Brain Structure and Function Study and drawn from large Mexican Americans families in San Antonio. Brain imaging studies were conducted at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Research Imaging Institute  directed by  Peter Fox, M.D.
"The use of large human pedigrees provides a powerful resource for measuring how genetic factors change with age," Blangero said.
By applying a sophisticated analysis, the scientists demonstrated a heritable basis for neurocognitive deterioration with age that could be attributed to genetic factors. Similarly, decreasing white matter integrity with age was influenced by genes., The investigators further demonstrated that different sets of genes are responsible for these two biological aging processes. 
 "A key advantage of this study is that we specifically focused on large extended families and so we were able to disentangle genetic from non-genetic influences on the aging process," said Glahn.
 ###
This research was supported by NIH grants MH0708143, MH078111, MH083824, MH59490, EB015611, C06 RR13556, CO6 RR017515, S10 RR029392.
Texas Biomed, formerly the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, is one of the world's leading independent biomedical research institutions dedicated to advancing global human health through innovative biomedical research.  Located on a 200-acre campus on the northwest side of San Antonio, Texas, the Institute partners with hundreds of researchers and institutions around the world, targeting advances in the fight against emerging infectious diseases, AIDS, hepatitis, malaria, parasitic infections and a host of other diseases, as well as cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, obesity, cancer, psychiatric disorders, and problems of pregnancy.  For more information on Texas Biomed, go to http://www.TxBiomed.org, or call Joe Carey, Texas Biomed's Vice President for Public Affairs, at 210-258-9437.
Brain aging is conclusively linked to genes
Finding is crucial step in determining normal aging
2013-11-05
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
The nitrogen puzzle in the oceans
2013-11-05
The nitrogen puzzle in the oceans
Nitrogen isotope effects by anammox deciphered
	A team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, the University of Basel, and Radboud University Nijmegen has now revealed the details of an important ...
Snakes control blood flow to aid vision
2013-11-05
Snakes control blood flow to aid vision
	A new study from the University of Waterloo shows that snakes can optimize their vision by controlling the blood flow in their eyes when they perceive a threat.
	Kevin van Doorn, PhD, and Professor Jacob Sivak, from the Faculty ...
Computer-aided image analysis aims to offer 'second opinion' in breast tumor diagnosis
2013-11-05
Computer-aided image analysis aims to offer 'second opinion' in breast tumor diagnosis
New technique may also have application in genomics to identify genes that influence risk of disease
	
BELLINGHAM, Washington, USA – Researchers at the University ...
Genetic study proves Israel's wild boars originated in Europe
2013-11-05
Genetic study proves Israel's wild boars originated in Europe
Tel Aviv University researchers say animals descended from pigs brought by the Philistines 3,000 years ago
	Wild boars look more or less the same in Israel as they do anywhere else: stalky and ...
Researchers gain new insights into brain neuronal networks
2013-11-05
Researchers gain new insights into brain neuronal networks
	A paper published in a special edition of the journal Science proposes a novel understanding of brain architecture using a network representation of connections within the primate cortex. Zoltán Toroczkai, professor ...
Diamond imperfections pave the way to technology gold
2013-11-05
Diamond imperfections pave the way to technology gold
Berkeley study provides unprecedented details on ultrafast processes in diamond nitrogen vacancy centers
	From supersensitive detections of magnetic fields to quantum information processing, the key ...
Dolphin genetic study provides revelations
2013-11-05
Dolphin genetic study provides revelations
	FORT LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. - The old saying goes: "Don't judge a book by its cover." Well, the same could be said about bottlenose dolphins.
	Bottlenose dolphins are the most common and well-known of their kind – famous ...
Wives matter more when it comes to calming down marital conflicts
2013-11-05
Wives matter more when it comes to calming down marital conflicts
UC Berkeley study finds husbands less influential in conflict resolution
	Marriage can be a battlefield. But a new study conducted at the University of California, Berkeley, has found that, ...
A better way to track your every move
2013-11-05
A better way to track your every move
Algorithm accurately tracks physical activity no matter where you carry your phone
	CHICAGO --- Physical activity tracking apps on smartphones are a potentially important tool for doctors who want to collect data and create treatment ...
Carnegie Mellon study suggests repetition of rare events could reduce screening mistakes by security
2013-11-05
Carnegie Mellon study suggests repetition of rare events could reduce screening mistakes by security
'Inattentional blindness,' not incompetence, could explain many failures to detect threats
	PITTSBURGH—The failure to detect infrequent, but obvious security threats ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Researchers at MIT develop new nanoparticles that stimulate the immune system to attack ovarian tumors
Opening the door to a vaccine for multiple childhood infections
New clue to ALS and FTD: Faulty protein disrupts brain’s ‘brake’ system
Detailed map of US air-conditioning usage shows who can beat the heat — and who can’t
An electronic fiber for stretchable sensing
New image captures spooky bat signal in the sky
Cobalt single atom-phosphate functionalized reduced graphene oxide/perylenetetracarboxylic acid nanosheet heterojunctions for efficiently photocatalytic H2O2 production
World-first study shows Australian marsupials contaminated with harmful ‘forever chemicals’
Unlocking the brain’s hidden drainage system
Enhancing smoking cessation treatment for people living with HIV
Research spotlight: Mapping how gut neurons respond to bacteria, parasites and food allergy
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Experimental Physics Investigators awards to UCSB experimentalists opens the door to new insights and innovations
Meerkats get health benefit from mob membership
COVID-19 during pregnancy linked to higher risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children
How a chorus of synchronized frequencies helps you digest your food
UAlbany researcher partners on $1.2 million NSF grant to explore tropical monsoon rainfall patterns
Checkup time for Fido? Wait might be longer in the country
Genetic variation impact scores: A new tool for earlier heart disease detection
The Lundquist Institute awarded $9 million to launch Community Center of Excellence for Regenerative Medicine
'Really bizarre and exciting': The quantum oscillations are coming from inside
Is AI becoming selfish?
New molten salt method gives old lithium batteries a second life
Leg, foot amputations increased 65% in Illinois hospitals between 2016-2023
Moffitt studies uncover complementary strategies to overcome resistance to KRAS G12Cinhibitors in lung cancer
National summit of experts charts unprecedented roadmap to reduce harms from firearms in new ways
Global environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys significantly expand known geographic and ecological niche ranges of marine fish, highlighting current biases in conservation and ecological modeling
Hundreds of animal studies on brain damage after stroke flagged for problematic images
Prize winner’s research reveals how complex neural circuits are correctly wired during brain development
Supershear rupture sustained in thick fault zone during 2025 Mandalay earthquake, study in research package shows
Study reveals how brain cell networks stabilize memory formation
[Press-News.org] Brain aging is conclusively linked to genesFinding is crucial step in determining normal aging