Oldest-old healthy brain function. The genomic potential
J. A. Kaye
Department of Neurology, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, USA.
There will be a remarkable increase in the number of people older than 85
years--the oldest-old--in the next 50 years. This age group is especially
vulnerable to increasing disabilities, many of which are the result of the
aging nervous system. Among these aging changes, the most devastating and
likely to have the greatest impact on our society is the development of
dementia. Since dementia is present in the majority of those who live to
the current maximum of the human life span, this suggests that dementia is
a normal aging event. Although the exact causes of this common cognitive
failure in the oldest-old are not known, there is recent evidence from
genetic studies of aging and Alzheimer disease to suggest that there are a
number of susceptibility genes that may modify or delay the onset of
late-life brain failure. These gene families form a natural target for
devising strategies for significantly delaying the onset of late-life
dementia.
