Functional Neurobiology of Aging

Dr. Hof is the Irving and Dorothy Regenstreif Research Professor of Neuroscience and the Vice-Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. He also leads the Center of Excellence on Brain Aging of the Friedman Brain Institute. His laboratory has extensive expertise in the pathology of neuropsychiatric disorders and has established an international reputation in quantitative approaches to neuroanatomy and studies of brain evolution. Dr. Hof earned his MD from the University of Geneva, School of Medicine in Switzerland. He came to the USA as a postgraduate fellow at the Research Institute of Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, CA. In 1989 he came to Mount Sinai School of Medicine as a Senior Research Associate and joined the Faculty there in 1990. He is also a Professor of Geriatrics and Ophthalmology at Mount Sinai. Dr. Hof's research is directed towards the study of selective neuronal vulnerability in dementing illnesses and aging using classical neuropathologic as well as modern quantitative morphologic methods to determine the cellular features that render the human brain uniquely vulnerable to degenerative disorders. Dr. Hof also conducts analyses of the distribution and connectivity patterns of pyramidal neuron subpopulations in the macaque monkey cerebral cortex in young and very old animals to study possible age-related changes in the neurochemical characteristics of the neurons of origin of corticocortical projections. He develops stereologic, high-resolution morphometric, and imaging tools for the quantitative study of neuroanatomical specimens and brain atlas development. Among his major contributions, Dr. Hof demonstrated that specific neurons are selectively vulnerable in dementing disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. He has made contributions to quantifying the differences between normal aging brains and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as other mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and autism. Dr. Hof is also the curator of a mammalian brain collection that includes a large series of great ape specimens, as well as an extensive sample of marine mammals. He has contributed considerably to our understanding of the structure of the cetacean brain and has identified, in select mammalian brains, specific neuronal types in parts of the cerebral cortex known to be involved in social awareness, judgment, and attention, that can be considered as markers of adaptive mechanisms and functions in response to particular ecological pressures.

Contributors.
Foreword.
Preface.
Overview:
Introduction to Concepts in Aging Research:
Age-Specific Rates of Neurological Disease, J.E. Riggs.
Nature versus Nurture in the Aging Brain, C.V. Mobbs and J.W. Rowe.
Neurochemistry of Receptor Dynamics in the Aging Brain, B.J. Keck and J.M. Lakoski.
Epidemiology of Neural Aging:
Demography and Epidemiology of Age-Associated Neuronal Impairment, C.K. Cassel and K. Ek.
Memory: Neocortical and Hippocampal Functions:
Neuropsychology of Human Aging.
Memory Changes with Aging and Dementia, P.D. Harvey and R.C. Mohs.
Histology of Age-Related Cortical Changes in Humans:
Types of Age-Related Brain Lesions and Relationship to Neuropathological Diagnostic Systems of Alzheimer's Disease, P. Giannakopoulos, E. Kövari, G. Gold, P.R. Hof, and C. Bouras.
Morphological changes in Human Cerebral Cortex during Normal Aging, T. Bussière and P.R. Hof.
Longevity and Brain Aging: The Paradigm of Centenarians, C. Bouras, P.G. Vallet, E. Kövari, J.-P. Michel, F.R. Herrmann, P.R. Hof, and P. Giannakopoulos .
Alzheimer's Disease:
Regional and Laminar Patterns of Selective Neuronal Vulnerability in Alzheimer's Disease, P.R. Hof.
Patterns of Cortical Neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's Disease: Subgroups, Subtypes, and Implications for Staging Strategies, B.A. Vogt, L.J. Vogt, and P.R. Hof.
Non-Alzheimer Age-Associated Dementing Disorders:
Vascular Dementia, G. Gold, C. Bouras, J.-P. Michel, P.R. Hof, and P. Giannakopoulos.
Frontotemporal Dementias: From Classification Problems to Pathogenetic Uncertainties, P. Giannakopoulos, E. Kövari, G. Gold, P.R. Hof and C. Bouras.
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Corticobasal Degeneration, D.W. Dickson.
Neurobiology of Disorders with Lewy Bodies, L. Hansen and E. Masliah.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/Parkinsonism-Dementia Complex of Guam, D.P. Perl.
In Vivo Imaging of Aging Brain:
Brain Energy Metabolism: Cellular Aspects and Relevance to Functional Brain Imaging, P.J. Magistretti, S. Joray, and L. Pellerin.
Functional Imaging in Cognitively Intact Aged People, N.D. Anderson and C.L. Grady.
Functional Brain Studies of the Neurometabolic Bases of Cognitive and Behavioral Changes in Alzheimer's Disease, P. Pietrini, M.L. Furey, M. Guazzelli, and G.E. Alexander.
Biochemical Correlates of Memory Impairments:
Cholinergic Basal Forebrain Systems in the Primate Central Nervous System: Anatomy, Connectivity, Neurochemistry, Aging, Dementia, and Experimental Therapeutics, E.J. Mufson and J.H. Kordower.
Glutamate Receptors in Aging and Alzheimer's Disease, A. Mishizen, M. Ikonomovic, and D.M. Armstrong.
Tau Phosphorylation, L. Buée and A. Delacourte.
Hereditary Basis of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias:
Etiology, Genetics, and Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease, C. McKeon-O'Malley and R. Tanzi.
Nonhereditary Mechanisms of Alzheimer's Disease:
Inflammation, Free Radicals, Glycation, Metabolism and Apoptosis, and Heavy Metals, M.P. Mattson.
Rodent Models of Age-Related Memory Impairments:
Rodent Models of Age-Related Memory Impairments, D.K. Ingram.
Genetically Engineered Models of Human Age-Related Neurogenerative Diseases, J.C. Vickers.
Nonhuman Primate and Other Vertebrate Models of Brain Aging:
Cognitive Aging in Nonhuman Primates, M.G. Baxter.
Brain Aging in Strepsirhine Primates, E.P. Gilissen, M. Dhenain, and J.M. Allman.
Age-Related Morphologic Alterations in the Brain of Old World and New World Anthropoid Monkeys, P.R. Hof and H. Duan.
The Study of Brain Aging in Great Apes, J.M. Erwin, E.A. Nimchinsky, P.J. Gannon, D.P. Perl, and P.R. Hof.
Neurobiological Models of Aging in the Dog and Other Vertebrate Species, E. Head, N.W. Milgram, and C.W. Cotman.
Interventions:
Estrogens and Alzheimer's Disease, N.D. Tsopelas and D.B. Marin.
Cholinergic Treatments of Alzheimer's Disease, N.D. Tsopelas and D.B. Marin.
Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Therapies in Alzheimer's Disease, P.S. Aisen and G.M. Pasinetti.
Senses: Sensory Cortices and Primary Afferent Functions:
Vision:
The Retina in Aging and in Alzheimer's Disease, R.O. Kuljis.
Pathogenesis of Glaucomatous Optic Neuropathy, M.R. Hernandez and A.H. Neufeld.
Color Vision, Object Recognition, and Spatial Localization in Aging and Alzheimer's Disease, A. Cronin-Golomb.
Hearing:
Anatomical and Neurochemical Bases of Presbycusis, R.D. Frisina, Jr..
Age, Noise, and Ototoxic Agents, R.J. Salvi, D. Ding, A.C. Eddins, S.L. McFadden, and D. Henderson.
Auditory Temporal Processing during Aging, D.R. Frisinia, R.D. Frisinia, Jr., K.B. Snell, R. Burkard, J.P. Walton, and J.R. Ison.
Neurophysiological Manifestations of Aging in the Peripheral and Central Auditory Nervous System, J.P. Walton and R. Burkard.
Genetics and Age-Related Hearing Loss, S.L. McFadden.
Animal Models of Presbycusis and the Aging Auditory System, J.F. Willott.
The Development of Animal Models for the Study of Presbycusis: Building a Behavioral Link between Perception and Physiology, J.R. Ison.
Rehabilitation for Presbycusis, D.G. Sims and R. Burkard.
Chemical Senses:
Olfaction and Gustation in Normal Aging and Alzheimer's Disease, R.L. Doty.
Locomotion: Basal Ganglia and Muscular Functions:
Functional Impairments in Humans:
Aging Effects on Muscle Properties and Human Performance, S.A. Jubrias and K.E. Conley.
Parkinson's Disease: Symptoms and Age Dependency, S.A. Eshuis and K.L. Leenders.
Pathology and Biochemistry of Aging and Disease of Basal Ganglia:
The Basal Ganglia Dopaminergic Systems in Normal Aging and Parkinson's Disease, J.N. Joyce.
Huntington's Disease, S.E. Browne and M.F. Beal.
Animal Models:
Biochemical and Anatomical Changes in Basal Ganglia of Aging Animals, J.A. Stanford, M.A. Hebert, and G.A. Gerhardt.
Homeostasis: Hypothalamus and Related Systems:
Reproduction and the Aging Brain:
Male Sexual Behavior during Aging, H. Kuno, M. Godschalk, and T. Mulligan.
Sexual Behavior in Aging Women, N.E. Avis.
Factors Influencing the Onset of Female Reproductive Senescence, P.S. LaPolt and J.K.H. Lu.
Female Sexuality during Aging, N.L. McCoy.
Hypothalamic Neuropeptide Gene Expression in Postmenopausal Women, N.E. Rance and T.W. Abel.
Neuroendocrine Aspects of Female Reproductive Aging, P.M. Wise and M.J. Smith.
Hypothalamic Changes Relevant to Reproduction in Aging Male Rodents, D.A. Gruenewald and A.M. Matsumoto.
Metabolism and the Aging Brain:
Regulation of Energy Intake in Old Age, S.B. Roberts and N.P. Hays.
Thermoregulation during Aging, B.A. Horwitz, A.M. Gabaldón, and R.B. McDonald.
Biological Rhythms and the Aging Brain:
Sleep and Hormonal Rhythms in Humans, G. Copinschi, R. Leproult, and E. Van Cauter.
Circadian Rhythms and Sleep in Aging Rodents, D.E. Kolker and F.W. Turek.
Glucocorticoid Secretion and the Aging Brain:
Clucocorticoids and the Aging Brain: Cause or Consequence?
P.J. Lucassen and E.R. De Kloet.
Growth Hormone, Insulin-like Growth Factor-1, and the Aging Brain, P.L. Thornton and W.E. Sonntag.
Automatic Nervous System and the Aging Brain:
The Aged Sympathetic Nervous System, G.A. Kuchel and T. Cowen.
Appendix.
Basic Genetic Concepts.