Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2025, Vol. 20 ›› Issue (8): 2279-2299.doi: 10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-23-01403

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Decoding molecular mechanisms: brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease

Mahnoor Hayat1 , Rafay Ali Syed2 , Hammad Qaiser3 , Mohammad Uzair4 , Khalid Al-Regaiey5 , Roaa Khallaf6 , Lubna Abdullah Mohammed Albassam7 , Imdad Kaleem8 , Xueyi Wang9, 10, Ran Wang9, 10, Mehwish S. Bhatti11, Shahid Bashir12, *   

  1. 1 Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan;  2 Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan;  3 Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Basic & Applied Sciences, International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), Islamabad, Pakistan;  4 Department of Bioengineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia;  5 Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia;  6 Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Center, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia;  7 Department of Mental Health, Neuroscience Center, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia;  8 Department of Biosciences, Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS University), Islamabad, Pakistan;   9 Department of Psychiatry, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China;  10Mental Health Institute of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China;  11Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA;  12Neuroscience Center, King Fahad Specialist Hospital Dammam, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
  • Online:2025-08-15 Published:2024-12-12
  • Contact: Shahid Bashir, PhD, shahidbpk13@gmail.com.

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Abstract: The complex morphological, anatomical, physiological, and chemical mechanisms within the aging brain have been the hot topic of research for centuries. The aging process alters the brain structure that affects functions and cognitions, but the worsening of such processes contributes to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Beyond these observable, mild morphological shifts, significant functional modifications in neurotransmission and neuronal activity critically influence the aging brain. Understanding these changes is important for maintaining cognitive health, especially given the increasing prevalence of age-related conditions that affect cognition. This review aims to explore the age-induced changes in brain plasticity and molecular processes, differentiating normal aging from the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, thereby providing insights into predicting the risk of dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease.

Key words: Alzheimer’s disease, brain aging, cognitive health, dementia, molecular mechanisms, neuronal activity, neuroplasticity, neurotransmission