Oligodendrocyte dysfunction linked to age-related cognitive decline

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh and the UK Dementia Research Institute found that lower NRF2 levels in oligodendrocytes lead to abnormal myelin buildup and loss of large nerve fibers. The changes tracked with faster cognitive decline in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. The NRF2 pathway is already targeted by drugs used for multiple sclerosis.

• 866 of 1,091 cohort members completed cognitive tests after age 70
• Faster decliners had fewer large nerve fibers and excess abnormal myelin
• Reducing NRF2 in mice reproduced the myelin and fiber changes
• NRF2-targeting drugs already exist for multiple sclerosis