Nicholas Fabiano, MD Profile picture
Mar 31 12 tweets 3 min read Read on X
This is the first map of human brain mitochondria.

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These findings are from a study in @Nature which created a map of mitochondria throughout the entire brain to bridge the scale gap between cognitive neuroscience and cell biology. 2/11 nature.com/articles/s4158…Image
The transformation of biochemical energy from food and oxygen into electricity, and then into molecules of ATP, one of the cell’s energy currencies, is done by organelles called mitochondria. 3/11 Image
In the brain, energy transformation is crucial for normal brain function, cognition and consciousness, and its disruption is a potential driver of neurological and psychiatric illnesses. 4/11
One barrier to efforts to resolve the bioenergetic contributions to brain health and disease is a ‘scale gap’: mitochondrial diversity is typically studied at the sub-micrometre scale, whereas brain activity is typically studied using imaging techniques. 5/11 Image
To bridge the scale gap, frozen brain slabs were cut into cubes called ‘voxels’ that measured 3 millimetres in each direction. 6/11 Image
Then a spatial map was constructed by using biochemical and molecular techniques to determine the mitochondrial density and energy-transformation capacity of each voxel. 7/11 Image
Mitochondrial density and ATP-synthesizing capacity in the brain’s grey matter were almost double those in the white matter, and they closely matched the estimated evolutionary age of different regions of grey matter. 8/11 Image
More-recently evolved brain regions that make humans different from other species contained more mitochondria, and these mitochondria were specialized for more-efficient energy transformation. 9/11
Once validated, applications of brain-wide mitochondrial-profiling could include diagnostics and the tracking of the effects of strategies to improve brain function or to stall or treat neurological, psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. 10/11
Overall, bridging the scale gap from organelle to whole-brain biology and neuroimaging lays the foundation to understanding the mitochondrial and energetic basis of brain function and dysfunction across a variety of contexts. 11/11
The full dataset is available here: humanmitobrainmap.bcblab.com

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More from @NTFabiano

Apr 2
This is the most comprehensive review of the neuroprotective mechanisms of exercise.

TL;DR: You only need ~30 min/week of high intensity exercise to substantially reduce risk of dementia or premature death.

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These findings are from a review in @TheLancet which explored the neuroprotective mechanisms of endurance exercise and highlighted the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in promoting healthy brain aging. 2/13 thelancet.com/journals/lance…Image
Emerging evidence suggests that sedentary and unhealthy lifestyles accelerate brain aging, while regular physical activity, high CRF, or a combination of both, can mitigate cognitive impairment and reduce dementia risk. 3/13 Image
Read 13 tweets
Apr 1
Bright light therapy is an effective adjunctive treatment for nonseasonal depressive disorders.

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These findings are from a study in @JAMAPsych which aimed to assess bright light therapy (BLT) effectiveness as an adjunctive treatment for nonseasonal depressive disorders. 2/8 jamanetwork.com/journals/jamap…Image
BLT is a low-cost adjunctive treatment option, however its efficacy has only previously been established in seasonal depressive disorders. 3/8
Read 8 tweets
Mar 23
Daytime napping is associated with a larger total brain volume.

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These findings are from a study in @SleepHealthEiC which studied the relationship between habitual daytime napping and cognition and brain structure, using Mendelian randomization. 2/8 sleephealthjournal.org/article/S2352-…Image
Given that the most pronounced decline during aging occurs in reaction time and memory, and the high prevalence of cognitive impairment in the aging population, the identification of modifiable risk factors, such as sleep habits, is essential. 3/8
Read 8 tweets
Mar 22
Higher muscle mitochondrial oxidative capacity is associated with >10 years of preserved brain structure.

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These findings are from a study in @NatureComms which examined the association of muscle mitochondrial oxidative capacity with up to over a decade-long changes in brain atrophy and microstructure. 2/9 nature.com/articles/s4146…Image
The mitochondrial cascade hypothesis, centers on the key role of age-related mitochondrial decline in Alzheimer’s disease. 3/9 Image
Read 9 tweets
Mar 21
Creatine upregulates the mRNA content of genes and protein content of kinases in muscle - independent of exercise intervention.

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These findings are from a study in @PhysiologicalG which investigated the effect of short-term creatine supplementation on global and targeted mRNA expression and protein content in human skeletal muscle. 2/9 journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.11…Image
Creatine supplementation has a number of biochemical and physiological effects and enhances muscle performance in humans. 3/9
Read 9 tweets
Mar 20
Ketones exhibit robust effects in restabilizing brain networks.

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These findings are from a study in @PNASNews which integrated human brain and physiological data to investigate underlying mechanisms. 2/9 pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pn…Image
Brain aging is associated with multiple degenerative processes, including glucose hypometabolism, atrophy, cerebrovascular disease, and deposition of beta-amyloid and tau proteins. 3/9
Read 9 tweets

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