As the global population continues to age, the incidence of cognitive impairment, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), has risen significantly. Identifying aging-related biomarkers has become crucial in understanding and addressing this issue. Our objective is to analyze blood test data derived from biological samples to identify proteins and metabolites associated with aging that exhibit differential expression across various age groups. Blood-based biomarkers, as non-invasive tools, hold the potential to play a pivotal role in the early detection and risk prediction of cognitive impairment. However, the age-related dynamics of these biomarkers and their relationship with cognitive function remain inadequately characterized.
Research Objectives: Identification of Age-Related Blood Biomarkers: Analyze concentrations of blood proteins and metabolites to identify biomarkers significantly associated with aging; Investigation of Biomarker Associations with Cognitive Impairment: Examine the distribution of these biomarkers across cognitively normal individuals, MCI patients, and those with cognitive impairment; Assessment of Potential Mechanisms: Integrate blood biomarkers with brain MRI data (e.g., gray matter volume reduction) and genetic information to explore their roles in neurodegenerative disease mechanisms.
Anticipated Significance: Advancing Early Diagnosis of Cognitive Impairment: Reveal potential links between age-related blood biomarkers and cognitive impairment, providing novel insights for early detection; Elucidating Pathological Mechanisms: Investigate pathological mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment through biomarker integration with brain structural and genetic data; Supporting Intervention Development: Provide scientific evidence for developing therapeutic strategies, including drug targets and lifestyle interventions.
