Alcohol and stress exposure across the lifespan are key risk factors for Alzheimer's Disease and cognitive decline

Laurel R Seemiller; Julio Flores-Cuadra; Keith R Griffith; Grace C Smith; Nicole A Crowley

doi:10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100605

Alcohol and stress exposure across the lifespan are key risk factors for Alzheimer's Disease and cognitive decline

Neurobiol Stress. 2024 Jan 4:29:100605. doi: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100605. eCollection 2024 Mar.

Authors

Laurel R Seemiller^{1

2}, Julio Flores-Cuadra^{1

3}, Keith R Griffith¹, Grace C Smith^{1

4}, Nicole A Crowley^{1

2

3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
² Center for Neural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
³ Neuroscience Graduate Program, Huck Institute of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
⁴ Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.

Abstract

Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias (ADRD) are an increasing threat to global health initiatives. Efforts to prevent the development of ADRD require understanding behaviors that increase and decrease risk of neurodegeneration and cognitive decline, in addition to uncovering the underlying biological mechanisms behind these effects. Stress exposure and alcohol consumption have both been associated with increased risk for ADRD in human populations. However, our ability to understand causal mechanisms of ADRD requires substantial preclinical research. In this review, we summarize existing human and animal research investigating the connections between lifetime stress and alcohol exposures and ADRD.

Keywords: Adolescence; Alcohol; Alzheimer's Disease; Cognitive decline; Lifespan; Neurodegeneration; Stress.

Abstract

Grants and funding