Publications by authors named "Brier A Rigby Dames"

Translating biological time across species is a powerful tool to identify new models of human aging and disease. Currently, it is not clear whether any animal reaches an age comparable to a human in their 80s. Most species seem to age differently compared with humans.

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How the neural structures supporting human cognition developed and arose in evolution is an enduring question of interest. Yet, we still lack appropriate procedures to align ages across primates, and this lacuna has hindered progress in understanding the evolution of biological programs. We generated a dataset of unprecedented size consisting of 573 time points from abrupt and gradual changes in behavior, anatomy, and transcription across human and 8 nonhuman primate species.

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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by brain plaques, tangles, and cognitive impairment. AD is one of the most common age-related dementias in humans. Progress in characterizing AD and other age-related disorders is hindered by a perceived dearth of animal models that naturally reproduce diseases observed in humans.

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Article Synopsis
  • This chapter explores the connections between typical brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, highlighting aging as a primary risk factor.
  • Researching aging at both evolutionary and molecular levels can reveal why older individuals are more susceptible to these diseases.
  • The study indicates that while neurodegenerative diseases share some characteristics with typical aging, they differ molecularly and may represent an accelerated aging process in the brain.
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