Page 12 - Abacoa Community News - April '20

Page 12, Abacoa

FAU FeAtUres

Neighborhood Features And & Place suggest that the cognitive benefits of living in Cavefish: Out Of The Dark,
Genetic Risk Interact To neighborhoods with greater access to social, walking and Into The Limelight
retail destinations may be limited to individuals with a
Affect Cognition reduced genetic risk for cognitive decline, specifically
APOEε2 carriers. Scientists Suspect These Blind Creatures May Hold Clues
The neighborhood environment may positively or “The positive influence of neighborhood environments To Many Biological Mysteries, Including Human Disease
negatively influence one’s ability to maintain cognitive on cognition may be strongest among individuals who are
function with age. Since older adults spend less time outside, at the lowest risk for Alzheimer’s disease,” said Lilah M.
the neighborhood environment increases in importance with Besser, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., senior author who led the study,
age. Studies suggest physical aspects of the neighborhood an assistant professor in FAU’s School of Urban and
such as the availability of sidewalks and parks, and more Regional Planning within the College for Social Design and
social and walking destinations, may be associated with Inquiry, a member of the FAU Brain Institute (I-BRAIN)
better cognitive functioning. Beneficial neighborhood and a faculty fellow of FAU’s Institute for Human Health
environments can provide spaces for exercise, mental and Disease Intervention (I-HEALTH). “The risk of
stimulation, socializing and reducing stress. To date, few cognitive decline among APOEε4 carriers may be difficult
studies have examined how the neighborhood’s physical to overcome even when living in beneficial neighborhood
environment relates to cognition in older adults. environments.” Living isolated in the dark has altered the Mexican cavefish
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and AD is the sixth leading cause of death in the United in eerie ways. Gone are its ancestral dark pigment and disc like
collaborators conducted one of the first known studies to States and more than 5.8 million Americans are living eyes, both replaced by pink flesh. However, its unique biology is
examine how cognitive functioning is affected differently with the disease. By 2050, this number is projected to anything but skin deep, and scientists, including those interested
by the neighborhood environment depending on one’s rise to nearly 14 million. According to the Alzheimer’s in human health, are taking notice.
apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype – a genetic risk factor Association, in 2019, AD and other dementias cost the Cavefish sleep very little and don’t get stressed. Neither do
for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). For the study, researchers nation $290 billion. By 2050, these costs could rise as high they swim in coordinated schools like other fish. They also binge
categorized 4,716 participants from the Multi-Ethnic as $1.1 trillion. eat, put on fat readily and have increased levels of sugar in their
Study of Atherosclerosis as carriers of APOEε2 (lower AD “Research on the potential influences of the blood, the sort that, in a person, might alarm a doctor.
risk), APOEε4 (higher AD risk), and APOEε3, the most neighborhood environment on cognition and brain aging “After their ancestors
common variant, which is considered to have neutral risk can help inform recommendations for neighborhood washed into caves, these fish
for developing AD. improvements to simultaneously address population evolved distinctive traits, a
Results of the study, published in the journal Health growth and healthy brain aging,” said Besser. “Knowledge number of which are linked
of how the neighborhood environment may affect cognition to diseases such as insomnia,
differentially depending on one’s genetic makeup will be obesity and diabetes,” said
important to inform such recommendations.” Alex Keene, Ph.D., an
Study co-authors are James E. Galvin, M.D., M.P.H.; associate professor in the
Daniel A. Rodriguez, Ph.D., University of California, Charles E. Schmidt College
Berkley; Teresa Seaman, Ph.D., University of California, of Science.
Los Angeles; Walter A. Kukull, Ph.D., University of Keene and his university
Washington; Stephen R. Rapp, Ph.D., Wake Forest School collaborators, Johanna
of Medicine; and Jennifer Smith, Ph.D., M.P.H., University Kowalko and Erik Duboué, are Alex Keene, Ph.D.
of Michigan. helping FAU emerge as a hub
This work was supported by funding from the Robert for the growing field of cavefish research. Together, these young
Wood Johnson Foundation Active Living Research scientists are teasing out the fish’s secrets and establishing it as an
Program and the National Institutes of Health (NHLBI
grant R01HL071759). Cavefish: Out Of The Dark on page 14