Nutrition in Neurodegeneration: Bridging Diet, Brain, and Eye Health

Neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and age-related macular degeneration, are irreversible conditions that significantly impact health, quality of life, and the socioeconomic burden worldwide. These diseases often progress silently, with symptoms only becoming evident in advanced stages, leaving few opportunities for effective interventions. Additionally, many neurodegenerative diseases are irreversible and lack of effective treatment.

Nutrition has emerged as a promising, low-cost, accessible, and safe intervention for mitigating the progression of neurodegeneration. Research has demonstrated that specific dietary components, for example omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (DHA and EPA), lutein, zeaxanthin, and antioxidants, are associated with reduced risks of cognitive decline and advanced age-related macular degeneration. However, the understanding of the potential of nutritional interventions in neurodegenerative diseases at early stage remains incomplete.

The challenge lies in early detection of neurodegenerative diseases. Classic detecting methods, such as MRI and CT imaging, are expensive, invasive, or limited by radiation exposure. Blood biomarkers often lack sensitivity and specificity, making early detection difficult. The eyes, with its transparent and quantifiable neural structures, offers a unique, non-invasive window into ocular and general neurodegeneration. Multi-model imaging techniques, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), can provide biomarkers for neurodegenerative processes in both the brain and eye. Combined with other imaging modalities, such as fMRI, these tools hold great promise for improving our understanding of the relationship between nutrition and neurodegeneration, providing a foundation for early interventions.

This Research Topic aims to explore the connection between nutrition and neurodegeneration by examining the role of specific nutrients and dietary patterns in modulating the risk and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, it seeks to delve into the potential of non-invasive imaging biomarkers to enhance early detection of neurodegenerative processes and to provide a robust basis for nutrition-based preventive strategies. By encouraging multidisciplinary research, this collection aims to improve our understanding of the role of nutrition in neurodegeneration and to promote nutrition-based solutions to reduce the burden of these diseases.

To gather further insights in nutrition's role in neurodegeneration, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

● Nutritional Interventions and Neurodegenerative Diseases: The impact of specific dietary patterns or nutrients on neurodegenerative diseases ,such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.
● Nutrition and Eye Health: Studies on dietary influences on eye diseases linked to neurodegeneration, such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration.
● Imaging Biomarkers and Dietary Correlations: Use of advanced imaging technologies (e.g., OCT, fMRI, CT, MRI) to quantify diet-induced structural or functional changes in the brain and retina.
● Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms: Insights into how nutrition modulates oxidative stress, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative processes.
● Epidemiology and Longitudinal Studies: Population-based or cohort studies of diet and its impact on neurodegeneration risk or progression.

Keywords: neurodegeneration, nutriton, imaging biomarkers, cognitive function, retina

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.