@article{FoersterShityakovScheperetal.2022,
  author    = {F{\"o}rster, Carola Y. and Shityakov, Sergey and Scheper, Verena and Lenarz, Thomas},
  title     = {Linking cerebrovascular dysfunction to age-related hearing loss and Alzheimer's disease — are systemic approaches for diagnosis and therapy required?},
  series = {Biomolecules},
  volume    = {12},
  journal   = {Biomolecules},
  number    = {11},
  issn      = {2218-273X},
  doi       = {10.3390/biom12111717},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-297552},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with neurovascular dysfunction, cognitive decline, and the accumulation of amyloid β peptide (Aβ) in the brain and tau-related lesions in neurons termed neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Aβ deposits and NFT formation are the central pathological hallmarks in AD brains, and the majority of AD cases have been shown to exhibit a complex combination of systemic comorbidities. While AD is the foremost common cause of dementia in the elderly, age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is the most predominant sensory deficit in the elderly. During aging, chronic inflammation and resulting endothelial dysfunction have been described and might be key contributors to AD; we discuss an intriguing possible link between inner ear strial microvascular pathology and blood-brain barrier pathology and present ARHL as a potentially modifiable and treatable risk factor for AD development. We present compelling evidence that ARHL might well be seen as an important risk factor in AD development: progressive hearing impairment, leading to social isolation, and its comorbidities, such as frailty, falls, and late-onset depression, link ARHL with cognitive decline and increased risk of dementia, rendering it tempting to speculate that ARHL might be a potential common molecular and pathological trigger for AD. Additionally, one could speculate that amyloid-beta might damage the blood-labyrinth barrier as it does to the blood-brain barrier, leading to ARHL pathology. Finally, there are options for the treatment of ARHL by targeted neurotrophic factor supplementation to the cochlea to improve cognitive outcomes; they can also prevent AD development and AD-related comorbidity in the future.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{ShityakovHayashiStoerketal.2021,
  author    = {Shityakov, Sergey and Hayashi, Kentaro and St{\"o}rk, Stefan and Scheper, Verena and Lenarz, Thomas and F{\"o}rster, Carola Y.},
  title     = {The conspicuous link between ear, brain and heart - Could neurotrophin-treatment of age-related hearing loss help prevent Alzheimer's disease and associated amyloid cardiomyopathy?},
  series = {Biomolecules},
  volume    = {11},
  journal   = {Biomolecules},
  number    = {6},
  issn      = {2218-273X},
  doi       = {10.3390/biom11060900},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-241084},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with neurovascular dysfunction and cognitive decline. While the deposition of amyloid β peptide (Aβ) and the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) are the pathological hallmarks of AD-affected brains, the majority of cases exhibits a combination of comorbidities that ultimately lead to multi-organ failure. Of particular interest, it can be demonstrated that Aβ pathology is present in the hearts of patients with AD, while the formation of NFT in the auditory system can be detected much earlier than the onset of symptoms. Progressive hearing impairment may beget social isolation and accelerate cognitive decline and increase the risk of developing dementia. The current review discusses the concept of a brain-ear-heart axis by which Aβ and NFT inhibition could be achieved through targeted supplementation of neurotrophic factors to the cochlea and the brain. Such amyloid inhibition might also indirectly affect amyloid accumulation in the heart, thus reducing the risk of developing AD-associated amyloid cardiomyopathy and cardiovascular disease.},
  language  = {en}
}