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Dietary Intake and Age-Related Cognitive Decline

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Geriatric Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2026 | Viewed by 861

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Guest Editor
Department of Neurology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
Interests: cognitive decline; cohort study; nutrition; Alzheimer’s disease; older adults; MRI
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As populations age, the increasing number of older adults with dementia and cognitive decline presents growing challenges to both individual quality of life and public health. The relationships between nutritional status and age-related cognitive decline have been drawing increasing attention, particularly regarding how dietary habits and nutrient intake patterns may be associated with a reduced risk of dementia. This topic explores the latest evidence on the roles of micronutrients, such as vitamins, which contribute to neuroprotective mechanisms; the impact of sarcopenia and frailty; and the influence of dietary patterns, including the Mediterranean and DASH diets, which have been associated with healthier aging and reduced neurodegenerative risk. By integrating findings from epidemiological studies, cohort research, and biomarker-based investigations, this topic seeks to advance understanding of how nutrition can contribute to the prevention or mitigation of cognitive decline in older adults. We welcome contributions that reflect current scientific trends and offer novel insights into this multidisciplinary field.

Dr. Moeko Noguchi-Shinohara
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • cognitive decline
  • nutritional status
  • dietary patterns
  • vitamins
  • sarcopenia
  • frailty

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 1665 KB  
Article
Serum Albumin Levels Are Associated with Total Brain and Hippocampal Volume but Not with White Matter Lesion Volume in Older Japanese Adults Without Cognitive Decline: A Cross-Sectional Study
by Yuta Usui, Moeko Noguchi-Shinohara, Makoto Mori, Shutaro Shibata, Taro Ozaki, Ayano Shima, Yasuyuki Taki, Kazuhiro Uchida, Takanori Honda, Jun Hata, Tomoyuki Ohara, Tatsuya Mikami, Tetsuya Maeda, Masaru Mimura, Kenji Nakashima, Jun-ichi Iga, Minoru Takebayashi, Toshiharu Ninomiya, Kenjiro Ono and on behalf of The Japan Prospective Studies Collaboration for Aging and Dementia (JPSC-AD) Study Group
Nutrients 2026, 18(10), 1520; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18101520 - 10 May 2026
Viewed by 597
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Serum albumin has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antithrombotic properties and reflects nutritional status. Hypoalbuminemia is linked to cognitive decline and frailty. However, the relationship between serum albumin levels and brain structural changes in older adults remains unclear. We aimed to examine the [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Serum albumin has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antithrombotic properties and reflects nutritional status. Hypoalbuminemia is linked to cognitive decline and frailty. However, the relationship between serum albumin levels and brain structural changes in older adults remains unclear. We aimed to examine the associations between serum albumin levels and total brain, hippocampal, and white matter lesion volumes in cognitively normal, community-dwelling older Japanese adults, accounting for frailty status. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 7266 participants aged ≥65 years without cognitive decline were included. Serum albumin levels, maximum handgrip strength, and usual gait speed were measured in all participants. Brain magnetic resonance imaging scans were used to evaluate total brain, hippocampal, and white matter lesion volumes. Results: Lower serum albumin levels were significantly associated with smaller total brain and hippocampal volumes after multivariable adjustment (both p for trend < 0.001; partial η2 = 0.005), but not with white matter lesion volumes (p for trend = 0.24; partial η2 = 0.001). In subgroup analyses stratified by frailty status, no significant heterogeneity in the associations between serum albumin levels and each brain volume was observed between groups defined by maximum handgrip strength or usual gait speed. Conclusions: Lower serum albumin levels are associated with smaller total brain and hippocampal volumes in cognitively normal, community-dwelling older Japanese adults, irrespective of frailty status. Serum albumin may serve as a clinically accessible marker of nutritional conditions in relation to these brain structures in older adults. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Intake and Age-Related Cognitive Decline)
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