Aging Systems and Geriatrics Study Section – ASG
The Aging Systems and Geriatrics (ASG) study section reviews applications that are typically clinical-translational efforts (including intervention studies) and primarily involve human subjects. Proposed studies may investigate geriatric syndromes and conditions, complex late-life disorders that involve multiple organ systems such as frailty, incontinence, balance, loss of functional capacity, delirium, fatigue, and multimorbidity. The interactions between diminished brain functions and the treatment and rehabilitation, including physical and cognitive behavioral therapies, of geriatric syndromes are also covered. Age-related changes in responses to physical stressors in humans (i.e., resiliencies) and their effects on clinical outcomes (imaging, physiometric, psychological) are also covered. It also reviews investigations of factors influencing life span and rates of aging changes in humans, especially interventions expected to influence multiple targets and to affect multiple outcomes, such as dietary and exercise interventions.
Review Dates
Topics
- Falls, syncope, frailty, immobility, malnutrition, sarcopenia, and loss of functional independence.
- Delirium, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia when the emphasis is on the effects of aging-related systemic factors (including immune, metabolic, endocrine) on diminished organ function across multiple systems, multi-organ failure, multi-morbidity, polypharmacy, or multi-faceted sensory and motor changes on cognition.
- Immunologic, inflammation, metabolic, and endocrine factors interacting with aging, geriatric syndromes, and multi-comorbidity, including Alzheimer’s disease.
- Effects of polypharmacy or multi-morbidities or chronic pain on health status and clinical outcomes in older adults.
- Effects of environmental and lifestyle factors on morbidities and comorbidities of age.
- Genetic and/or epigenetic factors affecting human aging and comorbidities of age.
- Early- or mid-life biological or physiological factors that affect human aging or geriatric syndromes.
- Biomarkers, including molecular and imaging (MRI, PET, DTI, and MRS) of aging mechanisms in humans and assessment of their relationship to age-related changes.
- Multicomponent, pleiotropic (e.g., exercise, nutrition) intervention studies addressing geriatric syndromes or outcomes spanning multiple systems.
- Behavioral and pharmacological interventions to mitigate age-related co-morbidities.
Shared Interests and Overlaps
There are shared interests in many areas with Cellular Mechanisms in Aging and Development (CMAD). Applications that emphasize clinical and translational applications of geroscience and geriatrics and generally focus on human subjects are reviewed in ASG. Applications that emphasize fundamental biological questions on mechanisms of aging and regulation of the health-span lifespan and generally focus on animal models are reviewed in CMAD. Applications using non-human primates will be assigned on a case-by-case-basis, depending on emphasis.
There are shared interests in neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment including dementia with Clinical Neurodegeneration Translational Neuroscience (CNTN). Applications that emphasize studying cognitive changes in older adults and neurodegeneration-associated dementia in the context of multi-organ/-system dysfunction, such as aging-related cardiovascular, endocrine, immune, metabolic, and gut-brain axis dysregulations, are reviewed in ASG. Applications that emphasize risk factors, mechanisms, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases are reviewed in CNTN.
There are shared interests in aging and the associated neurodegenerative disorders with Adult Lifespan Psychopathology Study Section (ALP). Applications that emphasize mechanistic studies on aging-related brain degenerations in the context of geoscience are reviewed in ASG. Applications that emphasize observational and predominantly behavioral studies, and/or neuropsychological manifestations secondary to aging or the impact of neurodegenerative disorders are reviewed in ALP.
There are shared interests interests in age-related changes in the adaptive and innate immune systems with Adaptive Immunity (AI). Applications that emphasize age-related geriatric conditions/syndromes involving multi-systems and organs that include an immune component are reviewed in ASG. Applications that emphasize the impact of aging on the mechanistic pathways affecting immune cells and their molecular function (Immune aging) are reviewed in AI.
There are shared interests in brain aging and cognitive disorders with Cognitive Disorders & Brain Aging (CDBA). Applications that emphasize mechanistic studies on aging-related brain degenerations in the context of geoscience are reviewed in ASG. Applications that emphasize behavioral and cognitive aspects of aging and the associated degenerative disorders are reviewed in CDBA as well as studies on delirium using animals.
There are shared interestsin age-related changes in the adaptive and innate immune systems with Innate Immunity B (IIB). Applications that emphasize the impact of aging on the mechanistic pathways affecting immune cells and their molecular function (Immune aging) may be reviewed in IIB. Applications that emphasize age-related geriatric conditions/syndromes involving multi-systems and organs that include an immune component are reviewed in ASG.
There are shared interests in sarcopenia and skeletal muscle function with Skeletal Muscle and Exercise Physiology (SMEP). Applications that emphasize the clinical aspects of sarcopenia, or on skeletal muscle endpoints as consequences of aging syndromes such as multi-morbidity and polypharmacy are reviewed in ASG. Applications that emphasize skeletal muscle endpoints as outcomes in older adults (exercise studies) are also reviewed in ASG. Applications that focus on skeletal muscle biology or function in response to sarcopenia, including exercise interventions that focus on muscle are reviewed in SMEP.
There are shared interests in age-related changes on human mobility and exercise with aging with Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Sciences (MRS). Applications that emphasize motor performance, balance, and mobility as effects of geriatric syndromes, including multi- morbidity and polypharmacy are reviewed in ASG as well as applications that emphasize pleiotropic interventions that include mobility and exercise (etc.) as outcomes. Applications that emphasize rehabilitative interventions aiming to improve motor performance, balance, and mobility in elderly people, including mobility support devices are reviewed in MRS.
There are shared interests in aging and associated musculoskeletal dysfunctions with Aging, Injury, Musculoskeletal, and Rheumatologic Disorders (AIMR). Applications that emphasize physiological, pathophysiological and/or mechanistic aspects of age-related conditions in humans are reviewed in ASG. Applications that emphasize the determinants and consequences associated with aging and age-related conditions in human subpopulations are reviewed in AIMR.
There are shared interests in aging effects on cardiac physiology, modulation of cardiac response, neural control of the cardiovascular system, and treatments of heart disease with Clinical Integrative Cardiovascular and Hematological Sciences (CCHS). Applications that emphasize aging effects as outcomes or effects of geriatric syndromes, including dementias, failure to thrive, multi-morbidity and polypharmacy are reviewed in ASG as well as applications that emphasize pleiotropic interventions that include cardiac endpoints as outcomes. Applications that emphasize aging effects on cardiac topics are reviewed in CCHS.
There are shared interests in aging with Atherosclerosis and Vascular Inflammation (AVI). Applications that emphasize comorbidities including atherosclerosis and vascular inflammation as components with other geriatric syndromes are reviewed in ASG. Applications that emphasize atherosclerosis-related mechanisms of vascular aging are reviewed in AVI.
