Gamma entrainment as a therapeutic modality for the aging brain: a narrative review

Chen, Bandy*

Department of Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA

*Correspondence to: Bandy Chen, BS, bac008@health.ucsd.edu.

Abstract

The rapid growth of the aging population and the increasing life expectancy have led to a significant rise in the number of age-associated neurological disorders. Many of these disorders are unprecedented and lack effective treatment options, placing tremendous pressure on them to develop novel strategies aimed at prevention and intervention. To effectively address neurological disorders, it is important to understand the neurobiology of the aging brain through the lifespan, as aging itself is a primary risk factor for numerous neurological disorders. Consequently, targeting the biological processes of aging offers an avenue for preventing or delaying neurodegenerative decline. In recent years, gamma oscillations have emerged as a novel target in the prevention and treatment of neurological disorders. However, the role of gamma activity in the aging brain remains underexplored. Investigating gamma oscillations in the aging brain offers a critical link between normal aging and the transition into neurological disorders. The aim of this review is to dive into alterations in gamma oscillation throughout aging with the goal of introducing a dual purpose: as a biomarker to detect early deviations from healthy aging and as a therapeutic modality, where gamma entrainment could be used to restore circuit-level dynamics.

伽马夹带应对大脑衰老：叙述性综述

摘要

随着老年人口的快速增长和预期寿命的延长，与年龄相关的神经退行性疾病数量显著增加。其中许多疾病前所未有且缺乏有效治疗手段，这给开发针对预防和干预的新策略带来了巨大压力。为了有效应对神经退行性疾病，理解整个生命周期中衰老大脑的神经生物学机制至关重要，因为衰老本身是多种神经退行性疾病的主要风险因素。因此，针对衰老的生物学过程提供了一种预防或延缓神经退行性衰退的途径。近年来，伽马振荡已成为神经退行性疾病预防和治疗的新兴靶点。然而，衰老大脑中伽马活动的角色仍未被充分探索。研究衰老大脑中的伽马振荡为正常衰老与神经退行性疾病转化的关键联系提供了重要线索。此综述旨在深入探讨衰老过程中伽马振荡的改变，其目标是实现双重用途：作为生物标志物以检测健康衰老的早期偏离，以及作为治疗手段，其中伽马夹带可用于恢复回路级动态。