Welcome to Aging Brain, the new Gold Open Access journal committed to publishing high-quality papers on new discoveries on the pathways, mechanisms and pathophysiology of brain aging.
Before accepting the role of Editor-in-Chief I asked myself, “do we need another journal devoted to studying the aging brain and, what might such a journal offer that others do not?” – simple and obvious questions, but difficult to answer concisely. The most convincing argument for launching Aging Brain was that the flagship journal in the field, Neurobiology of Aging, receives more good quality submissions than it can publish. My initial concerns about quality were allayed by Peter Rapp, Editor-in-Chief of Neurobiology of Aging, who agreed to transfer to Aging Brain only those papers that passed his own journal’s quality threshold, and the Publisher’s agreement to include a discussion forum in the form of a “Points of Interest” which could also serve as a post-publication quality check.
The goal of Aging Brain is to publish work that provides improved insight into the determinants, course, and outcome of brain aging (a process that starts during early development), as well as approaches that might help defer or alleviate the accompanying consequences of brain aging on mental and physical health since. Our mission is shared by many general and specialist journals that nevertheless vary in quality and content type, each with its own bias e. g. towards preclinical vs. clinical research, trending subjects and technologies or submissions from strategically placed individuals or institutions. In truth, Aging Brain will be marked by its own (positive) bias! Submissions that study the causes and consequences of brain aging from an integrative and multidisciplinary perspective will be prioritized. Also, since aging is a continuous process, we expect reports to include at least 3 ages, rather than a simple comparison of 2 age groups.
Research on brain aging in humans and other organisms is driven by both, scientific curiosity, and an interest in “adding quality to the extra years of life” brought about by recent shifts in health demographics. The welcome increase in survival rates among human populations throughout much of the world has however resulted in a greater burden of disease, therefore threatening already overstretched healthcare resources. Today, age-related non-communicable diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, neuropsychiatric disorders, sensory impairments and reduced mobility, represent a significant challenge that is multiplied by, among others, the unprecedented disruption of the natural environment and the rapid transmission of pathogens. Meanwhile, there is robust evidence that somatic disease accelerates brain aging, and vice versa. These examples illustrate the need for a journal that considers the subject from a broad perspective, catering to the needs of a growing international community of researchers.
Aging Brain aims to be competitive. It does not seek to compete with other respectable journals in the field. Its “Highlights” section will provide space for authors to present short summaries of key discoveries published in other outlets. Further, Aging Brain intends to serve as a platform where advances in the biomedical, physical, and engineering sciences merge to improve mental health over the lifespan. Extending the mental healthspan necessarily includes finding improved diagnostic tools and solutions for age-related disorders of the brain, be they cognitive, behavioral, psycho-social, neurorehabilitative, pharmacological, genetic or digital, or perhaps, an admixture of these. The journal’s “Registered Reports” is expected to contribute to testing the safety and feasibility of new treatments and modifiers of brain aging, thus transforming knowledge into applications.
Over the next few months, Aging Brain will feature several “Invited Opinions” by leading stakeholders. We are grateful to these guest authors for sharing their views on what they consider to be some of the most urgent needs and promising directions of research in our field. We hope that you, our readers and potential authors, will enjoy these and other articles in Aging Brain!