The Effects of Living at Altitude on the Prevalence of Dementia
Holt, A. G.; Davies, A. M.
Show abstract
A lower incidence of dementia has been observed in populations residing at high altitudes compared to those at low altitudes. A possible cause is the inverse relationship between altitude and the partial pressure of inspired oxygen. This paper investigates the long term impact that living at altitude has on mitochondrial function. We use simulation methods to model the dynamics of a population of mtDNA and the proliferation of deletion mutants. Clonal expansion of these deletion mutants over many years impairs mitochondrial function resulting in cell death, notably in post-mitotic cells such as neurons. Neuron loss leads to cognitive impairment, progressing to dementia over time. Our results show that there is a moderate reduction in neuron loss rates and associated cognitive decline with respect to dementia in the elderly. These results are consistent with published data on the regional prevalence of dementia when plotted against altitude.
Matching journals
The top 3 journals account for 50% of the predicted probability mass.
Similar papers in this journal
- Dynamical effects of dendritic pruning implicated in aging and neurodegeneration: Towards a measure of neuronal reserve 93%
- Role of mitochondrial genetic interactions in determining adaptation to high altitude in human population around the globe 93%
- Influence Of Energy Deficiency On The Molecular Processes Of Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta Cell For Understanding Parkinsonian Neurodegeneration: A Comprehensive Biophysical Computational Model 93%
Similar papers in this journal
- A unifying model for the propagation of prion proteins in yeast brings insight into the prion 93%
- A multiscale electro-metabolic model of a rat neocortical circuit reveals the impact of ageing on central cortical layers 93%
- Intraneuronal binding of amyloid beta with reelin -implications for the onset of Alzheimer's disease 93%
"Similar papers" are the closest papers from that journal in the model's embedding space. They show what the match is built on, but the ranking comes mostly from a classifier over the whole training set, not from these examples alone.