McGill University Researchers Identify Purkinje Cell Decline as a Driver of Motor Aging
Researchers at McGill University have identified a specific change in cerebellar neurons that appears to drive age-related losses in balance and coordination. By altering the activity of these cells in mice, the team was able to worsen or partially reverse motor deficits, pointing to a possible new target for preserving mobility later in life. Aging often brings slower movement, weaker balance, and reduced agility, but the brain changes behind these losses have been difficult to identify. McGill University researchers have now directly linked declining activity in Purkinje cells, an important type of neuron in the cerebellum, to measurable deterioration in gait, balance, coordination, and physical function.
By demonstrating how the changes that happen to Purkinje cells in age are causally linked to changes in gait, motor coordination and balance, our work provides new avenues for therapies that may prevent or delay motor aging,
explained Eviatar Fields, the study’s lead author and McGill doctoral student in the Integrated Program in Neuroscience. This provides new hope for extending health span and ultimately improving quality of life and independence in elderly people.
The research was conducted with Professor Alanna Watt’s lab. The results could inform public health efforts aimed at preventing falls and help researchers understand why comparable disruptions in brain activity appear in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.
While the McGill study addresses motor function, other research is investigating how to combat brain inflammation, a major factor in memory decline. As people live longer, memory problems and conditions like dementia are becoming more common. Much of this starts in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that helps us learn and remember. With age, this area faces stress: cells produce more harmful molecules, energy systems weaken, and immune cells in the brain become overactive. Instead of protecting the brain, they begin to create constant low-level inflammation that slowly affects memory and thinking ability.
Brain age-related diseases like dementia are a major health concern worldwide,
said Dr. Ashok Shetty from the Texas A&M University Naresh Vashisht College of Medicine. What we’re showing is brain aging can be reversed, to help people stay mentally sharp, socially engaged and free from age-related decline.
Instead of using complex treatments like surgery or cell transplants, researchers are looking at tiny particles released by stem cells. These particles act like messengers, carrying helpful instructions that can change how other cells behave. The scientists delivered these particles through the nose to reach the brain.
Multilingualism Provides Cognitive Protection Through Constant Mental Exercise
Other researchers are exploring how lifestyle habits, such as multilingualism, may protect the brain. When someone knows two or more languages, all those languages remain active in the brain. Each time a multilingual person wants to speak, the brain must select the right language while keeping others from interfering. This constant mental exercise acts a bit like daily brain training.
Choosing one language, suppressing the others, and switching between them strengthens brain networks involved in attention and cognitive control. Researchers believe this steady mental workout may help protect the brain as it ages. While past studies have been inconsistent, a new, large-scale study suggests that speaking one extra language is helpful, but speaking several seems even better.
Emily Sharp Links Knitting and Tactile Hobbies to Bilateral Brain Stimulation
Finally, hands-on, tactile hobbies are also being recognized for their cognitive benefits. According to Eventbrite data, Gen Z’s interest in “grannycore” gatherings, such as knitting circles and needlework workshops, has surged, driven in part by a search for relief from digital burnout. Recent studies suggest that slow, tactile tasks, such as knitting, may activate brain systems in ways that support long-term cognitive health, including engaging memory, attention, and motor function, while helping to regulate stress. Knitting uniquely combines fine motor coordination, creative planning, and rhythmic bilateral movement—all of which engage different brain systems at once.
That bilateral stimulation—created by the alternating use of both hands—is similar to what’s used in EMDR therapy,
says Emily Sharp, a licensed therapist at NY Art Therapy. Sharp adds that this type of stimulation is linked to reduced cortisol levels, increased serotonin and dopamine, and improved emotional regulation. Engaging in such mentally demanding hobbies may be one of the simplest ways to support brain health regardless of age or gender.
Related reading