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Call for papers - Brain maintenance and cognitive reserve in aging

Guest Editors

Edward Spencer Bliss, PhD, University of Southern Queensland, Australia
Luodan Yang, PhD, South China Normal University, China

Submission Status: Open   |   Submission Deadline: 10 July 2025 

BMC Neurology is now welcoming submissions to a new Collection focused on brain maintenance and cognitive reserve in aging. Brain maintenance and cognitive reserve are two interrelated concepts that offer insights into how individuals can sustain cognitive function despite age-related changes and neurodegeneration. Brain maintenance refers to the biological processes that preserve brain health, while cognitive reserve encompasses the mental resources that enable individuals to cope with brain aging and pathology. This Collection aims to explore the interplay between these concepts, focusing on factors such as neuroplasticity, lifestyle choices, and cerebrovascular function which incorporates blood-brain barrier integrity.


New Content ItemThis Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Edward Spencer Bliss, PhD, University of Southern Queensland, Australia

Dr Edward Bliss is a Medical Laboratory Science Senior Lecturer. He is an experienced multidisciplinary medical scientist who has completed research projects that have determined the effects of supplements in animal models of metabolic syndrome and the effects of interventions, such as exercise and supplementation, on cerebrovascular function and cognition in populations at risk of developing cognitive decline. His primary research areas are focused on cerebrovascular function and overall brain health, biomarker analysis, and cardiometabolic function in chronic diseases as well as interventions that can improve these in those who are at an increased risk of declining cardiovascular and brain health.
 

Luodan Yang, PhD, South China Normal University, China

Dr Luodan Yang is a Professor at South China Normal University and the head of the Laboratory of Exercise and Neurobiology. His research focuses on exploring the neuroprotective effects and mechanisms of exercise and low-intensity laser therapy on neurodegenerative diseases and brain injuries.
 

About the Collection

BMC Neurology is now welcoming submissions to a new Collection focused on brain maintenance and cognitive reserve in aging. Brain maintenance and cognitive reserve are two interrelated concepts that offer insights into how individuals can sustain cognitive function despite age-related changes and neurodegeneration. Brain maintenance refers to the biological processes that preserve brain health, while cognitive reserve encompasses the mental resources that enable individuals to cope with brain aging and pathology. This Collection aims to explore the interplay between these concepts, focusing on factors such as neuroplasticity, lifestyle choices, and cerebrovascular function which incorporates blood-brain barrier integrity.

Recent advances have highlighted the role of lifestyle factors—such as physical activity, nutrition, and social engagement—in enhancing cognitive reserve and mitigating cognitive decline. Research has begun to demonstrate the biological underpinnings of neuroplasticity and cerebrovascular function and their potential to foster resilience against neurodegenerative diseases. Future studies could explore the potential of pharmacological agents that enhance cognitive reserve or the role of technology in promoting brain health. By deepening our understanding of these mechanisms, we can pave the way for effective public health strategies aimed at reducing the burden of cognitive decline in aging populations.

Topics of interest to this Collection include, but are not limited to:
•    The role of neuroplasticity in cognitive aging
•    Lifestyle factors influencing cognitive reserve
•    Cerebrovascular function, Blood-brain barrier integrity and neurodegeneration
•    Mechanisms of brain maintenance in aging

Image credit: © Halfpoint / stock.adobe.com

  1. A 56-year-old man presented with right-sided drooping of the mouth corner and eyelid, along with weakness in the left lower limb. His MRI revealed a corona radiata lacunar infarction on the left and an acute i...

    Authors: Gao Zheng-hua, Lu Yao, Lin Song-jun, Cai Hao-bin and Cai Tian-tian
    Citation: BMC Neurology 2025 25:176
    Content type: Case Report Published on:

  2. Sub-Saharan Africans and Afro-Americans face 2-to-8 times higher risk of dementia compared to Caucasians, with Nigerian people being the highest population-at-risk. Adding to this challenge, their unique lipid...

    Authors: Juan Fraile-Ramos, Faeren Dogoh, Monday Ogiator, Efosa Kenneth Oghagbon and Lydia Giménez-Llort
    Citation: BMC Neurology 2025 25:158
    Content type: Research Published on:

  3. Entacapone has been widely used in the treatment of moderate to advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD), and its efficacy for motor symptoms has been well-known from several clinical trials and long-term clinical us...

    Authors: Dongjuan Xu, Yuan Fang, Mengmeng Hu, Yilei Shen, Hongfei Li, Lianyan Wei and Juping He
    Citation: BMC Neurology 2025 25:116
    Content type: Research Published on:

  4. Oxidative damage has been implicated in multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including epilepsy. Selenium, in the form of selenoproteins is an integral part of the human antioxidant defense system. Though a re...

    Authors: Hareem Nisar, Rafat Amin, Sadaf Khan, Tehseen Fatima, Qamar-Un-Nisa and Jawwad-Us-Salam
    Citation: BMC Neurology 2025 25:34
    Content type: Research Published on:

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Brain maintenance and cognitive reserve in aging" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.