Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK.
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Center for Basic and Translational Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 2019;1175:181-197. doi: 10.1007/978-981-13-9913-8_8.
Ageing reduces the functional capacity of all organs, so does that of the nervous system; the latter is evident in the reduction of cognitive abilities, learning and memory. While the exact mechanisms of ageing of the nervous system remain elusive, it is without doubt that morpho-functional changes in a variety of neuroglial cells contribute to this process. The age-dependent changes in neuroglia are characterised by a progressive loss of function. This reduces glial ability to homeostatically nurture, protect and regenerate the nervous tissue. Such neuroglial paralysis also facilitates neurodegenerative processes. Ageing of neuroglia is variable and can be affected by environmental factors and comorbidities.
衰老是所有器官功能下降的原因,神经系统也不例外;后者表现在认知能力、学习和记忆能力的下降。虽然神经系统衰老的确切机制仍不清楚,但毫无疑问,各种神经胶质细胞的形态和功能变化对此过程有贡献。神经胶质随年龄增长而发生的变化的特征是功能逐渐丧失。这降低了神经胶质维持、保护和再生神经组织的能力。这种神经胶质瘫痪也促进了神经退行性过程。神经胶质的衰老具有可变性,并且可能受到环境因素和合并症的影响。