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Abstract
<p class="first" id="d6282699e51">The global population is aging, leading to an increasing
burden of age-related neurodegenerative
disease. Efforts to intervene against age-related dementias in older adults have generally
proven ineffective. These failures suggest that a lifetime of brain aging may be difficult
to reverse once widespread deterioration has occurred. To test interventions in younger
populations, biomarkers of brain aging are needed that index subtle signs of accelerated
brain deterioration that are part of the putative pathway to dementia. Here I review
potential MRI-based biomarkers that could connect midlife brain aging to later life
dementia. I survey the literature with three questions in mind, 1) Does the biomarker
index age-related changes across the lifespan? 2) Does the biomarker index cognitive
ability and cognitive decline? 3) Is the biomarker sensitive to known risk factors
for dementia? I find that while there is preliminary support for some midlife MRI-based
biomarkers for accelerated aging, the longitudinal research that would best answer
these questions is still in its infancy and needs to be further developed. I conclude
with suggestions for future research.
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