1
|
Chaudhari NN, Imms PE, Chowdhury NF, Gatz M, Trumble BC, Mack WJ, Law EM, Sutherland ML, Sutherland JD, Rowan CJ, Wann LS, Allam AH, Thompson RC, Michalik DE, Miyamoto M, Lombardi G, Cummings DK, Seabright E, Alami S, Garcia AR, Rodriguez DE, Gutierrez RQ, Copajira AJ, Hooper PL, Buetow KH, Stieglitz J, Gurven MD, Thomas GS, Kaplan HS, Finch CE, Irimia A. Increases in regional brain volume across two native South American male populations. GeroScience 2024; 46:4563-4583. [PMID: 38683289 PMCID: PMC11336037 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-024-01168-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Industrialized environments, despite benefits such as higher levels of formal education and lower rates of infections, can also have pernicious impacts upon brain atrophy. Partly for this reason, comparing age-related brain volume trajectories between industrialized and non-industrialized populations can help to suggest lifestyle correlates of brain health. The Tsimane, indigenous to the Bolivian Amazon, derive their subsistence from foraging and horticulture and are physically active. The Moseten, a mixed-ethnicity farming population, are physically active but less than the Tsimane. Within both populations (N = 1024; age range = 46-83), we calculated regional brain volumes from computed tomography and compared their cross-sectional trends with age to those of UK Biobank (UKBB) participants (N = 19,973; same age range). Surprisingly among Tsimane and Moseten (T/M) males, some parietal and occipital structures mediating visuospatial abilities exhibit small but significant increases in regional volume with age. UKBB males exhibit a steeper negative trend of regional volume with age in frontal and temporal structures compared to T/M males. However, T/M females exhibit significantly steeper rates of brain volume decrease with age compared to UKBB females, particularly for some cerebro-cortical structures (e.g., left subparietal cortex). Across the three populations, observed trends exhibit no interhemispheric asymmetry. In conclusion, the age-related rate of regional brain volume change may differ by lifestyle and sex. The lack of brain volume reduction with age is not known to exist in other human population, highlighting the putative role of lifestyle in constraining regional brain atrophy and promoting elements of non-industrialized lifestyle like higher physical activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil N Chaudhari
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Phoebe E Imms
- Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nahian F Chowdhury
- Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Margaret Gatz
- Center for Economic and Social Research, Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin C Trumble
- Center for Evolution & Medicine, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Wendy J Mack
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - E Meng Law
- iBRAIN Research Laboratory, Departments of Neuroscience, Computer Systems and Electrical Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Radiology, The Alfred Health Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Christopher J Rowan
- Renown Institute for Heart and Vascular Health, Reno, NV, USA
- School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - L Samuel Wann
- Division of Cardiology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Adel H Allam
- Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Al Mikhaym Al Daem, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Randall C Thompson
- Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, University of Missouri, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - David E Michalik
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA, USA
- MemorialCare Miller Children's & Women's Hospital, Long Beach Medical Center, Long Beach, CA, USA
| | - Michael Miyamoto
- Division of Cardiology, Mission Heritage Medical Group, Providence Health, Mission Viejo, CA, USA
| | | | - Daniel K Cummings
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Economic Science Institute, Argyros School of Business and Economics, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Edmond Seabright
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Sarah Alami
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Angela R Garcia
- Center for Evolution & Medicine, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Daniel E Rodriguez
- Institute of Biomedical Research, San Simon University, Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | | | | | - Paul L Hooper
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Kenneth H Buetow
- Center for Evolution & Medicine, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jonathan Stieglitz
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, Toulouse 1 Capitol University, Toulouse, France
| | - Michael D Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
| | - Gregory S Thomas
- MemorialCare Health Systems, Fountain Valley, CA, USA
- Division of Cardiology, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Hillard S Kaplan
- Economic Science Institute, Argyros School of Business and Economics, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Caleb E Finch
- Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Departments of Biological Sciences, Anthropology and Psychology, Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Andrei Irimia
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Trumble BC, Schwartz M, Ozga AT, Schwartz GT, Stojanowski CM, Jenkins CL, Kraft TS, Garcia AR, Cummings DK, Hooper PL, Eid Rodriguez D, Buetow K, Beheim B, Irimia A, Thomas GS, Thompson RC, Gatz M, Stieglitz J, Finch CE, Gurven M, Kaplan H. Poor Oral Health Is Associated With Inflammation, Aortic Valve Calcification, and Brain Volume Among Forager-Farmers. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2024; 79:glae013. [PMID: 38291985 PMCID: PMC11044433 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glae013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Poor oral health is associated with cardiovascular disease and dementia. Potential pathways include sepsis from oral bacteria, systemic inflammation, and nutritional deficiencies. However, in post-industrialized populations, links between oral health and chronic disease may be confounded because the lower socioeconomic exposome (poor diet, pollution, and low physical activity) often entails insufficient dental care. We assessed tooth loss, caries, and damaged teeth, in relation to cardiovascular and brain aging among the Tsimane, a subsistence population living a relatively traditional forager-horticulturalist lifestyle with poor dental health, but minimal cardiovascular disease and dementia. Dental health was assessed by a physician in 739 participants aged 40-92 years with cardiac and brain health measured by chest computed tomography (CT; n = 728) and brain CT (n = 605). A subset of 356 individuals aged 60+ were also assessed for dementia and mild cognitive impairment (n = 33 impaired). Tooth loss was highly prevalent, with 2.2 teeth lost per decade and a 2-fold greater loss in women. The number of teeth with exposed pulp was associated with higher inflammation, as measured by cytokine levels and white blood cell counts, and lower body mass index. Coronary artery calcium and thoracic aortic calcium were not associated with tooth loss or damaged teeth. However, aortic valve calcification and brain tissue loss were higher in those who had more teeth with exposed pulp. Overall, these results suggest that dental health is associated with indicators of chronic diseases in the absence of typical confounds, even in a population with low cardiovascular and dementia risk factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Trumble
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Matthew Schwartz
- School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Andrew T Ozga
- Department of Biological Sciences, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
| | - Gary T Schwartz
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Christopher M Stojanowski
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Carrie L Jenkins
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Thomas S Kraft
- Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Angela R Garcia
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Daniel K Cummings
- Economic Science Institute, Chapman University, Orange, California, USA
| | - Paul L Hooper
- Economic Science Institute, Chapman University, Orange, California, USA
| | | | - Kenneth Buetow
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Bret Beheim
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andrei Irimia
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gregory S Thomas
- Heart & Vascular Institute, MemorialCare Health System, Fountain Valley, CA and University of California Irvine, Orange, California, USA
| | - Randall C Thompson
- Department of Cardiology, Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
| | - Margaret Gatz
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jonathan Stieglitz
- Insititue for Advanced Study, Toulouse School of Economics, Toulouse, France
| | - Caleb E Finch
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Michael Gurven
- Integrative Anthropological Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Hillard Kaplan
- Economic Science Institute, Chapman University, Orange, California, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Trumble BC, Negrey J, Koebele SV, Thompson RC, Samuel Wann L, Allam AH, Beheim B, Linda Sutherland M, Sutherland JD, Eid Rodriguez D, Michalik DE, Rowan CJ, Lombardi GP, Garcia AR, Cummings DK, Seabright E, Alami S, Kraft TS, Hooper P, Buetow K, Irimia A, Gatz M, Stieglitz J, Gurven MD, Kaplan H, Thomas GS. Testosterone is positively associated with coronary artery calcium in a low cardiovascular disease risk population. Evol Med Public Health 2023; 11:472-484. [PMID: 38145005 PMCID: PMC10746324 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoad039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In industrialized populations, low male testosterone is associated with higher rates of cardiovascular mortality. However, coronary risk factors like obesity impact both testosterone and cardiovascular outcomes. Here, we assess the role of endogenous testosterone on coronary artery calcium in an active subsistence population with relatively low testosterone levels, low cardiovascular risk and low coronary artery calcium scores. Methodology In this cross-sectional community-based study, 719 Tsimane forager-horticulturalists in the Bolivian Amazon aged 40+ years underwent computed tomography (49.8% male, mean age 57.6 years). Results Coronary artery calcium levels were low; 84.5% had no coronary artery calcium. Zero-inflated negative binomial models found testosterone was positively associated with coronary artery calcium for the full sample (Incidence Rate Ratio [IRR] = 1.477, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.001-2.170, P = 0.031), and in a male-only subset (IRR = 1.532, 95% CI 0.993-2.360, P = 0.053). Testosterone was also positively associated with clinically relevant coronary atherosclerosis (calcium >100 Agatston units) in the full sample (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.984, 95% CI 1.202-3.275, P = 0.007) and when limited to male-only sample (OR = 2.032, 95% CI 1.118-4.816, P = 0.024). Individuals with coronary artery calcium >100 had 20% higher levels of testosterone than those with calcium <100 (t = -3.201, P = 0.007). Conclusions and Implications Among Tsimane, testosterone is positively associated with coronary artery calcium despite generally low normal testosterone levels, minimal atherosclerosis and rare cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. Associations between low testosterone and CVD events in industrialized populations are likely confounded by obesity and other lifestyle factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Trumble
- Arizona State University, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Human Origins, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jacob Negrey
- Arizona State University, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Human Origins, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Stephanie V Koebele
- Arizona State University, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Human Origins, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Randall C Thompson
- Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, Department of Cardiology, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - L Samuel Wann
- University of New Mexico, School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Adel H Allam
- Al Azhar University, School of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Bret Beheim
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | | | | | - David E Michalik
- University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Miller Women’s and Children’s Hospital Long Beach, CA, USA
| | | | - Guido P Lombardi
- Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Laboratorio de Paleopatología, Lima, Peru
| | - Angela R Garcia
- Arizona State University, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Human Origins, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | - Edmond Seabright
- Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, School of Collective Intelligence, Ben Guerir, Morocco
| | - Sarah Alami
- Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, School of Collective Intelligence, Ben Guerir, Morocco
| | - Thomas S Kraft
- University of Utah, Anthropology Department, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Paul Hooper
- Chapman University, Economic Science Institute, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Kenneth Buetow
- Arizona State University, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Human Origins, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Andrei Irimia
- University of Southern California, Psychology Department, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Margaret Gatz
- University of Southern California, Psychology Department, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Stieglitz
- Toulouse Scool of Economics, Institute for Advanced Study Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Michael D Gurven
- University of California Santa Barbara, Department of Anthropology, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Hillard Kaplan
- Chapman University, Economic Science Institute, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Gregory S Thomas
- MemorialCare Health System, Fountain Valley, CA, USA
- University of California Irvine, Division of Cardiology, Orange, CA, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Darusman HS, Li Wern T, Sajuthi D, Schapiro SJ, Hau J. Age-related cognitive impairment is associated with low serum concentrations of testosterone and CSF levels of amyloid beta 42 in male cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). J Med Primatol 2021; 50:270-272. [PMID: 34363401 DOI: 10.1111/jmp.12536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Aged memory-impaired cynomolgus monkeys had significantly lower levels of cerebrospinal amyloid (Aβ42 ) and serum testosterone compared with young animals and non-memory-impaired controls. Our findings confirm similar findings in the human and substantiate the usefulness of the cynomolgus monkey as a spontaneous model for aging-associated senile dementia of the Alzheimer type.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huda Shalahudin Darusman
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), Bogor, Indonesia.,Primate Research Center, IPB, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Tan Li Wern
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Dondin Sajuthi
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), Bogor, Indonesia.,Primate Research Center, IPB, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Steven J Schapiro
- Department of Comparative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX, USA
| | - Jann Hau
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Sabiniewicz A, Karwowski M, Löckenhoff CE, Borkowska B, Sorokowski P. Short- and long-term memory and age in a traditional tribe (Dani of Papua) and a modern population (Poland). Acta Ethol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-020-00348-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe different environmental conditions in which people live might challenge memory in different ways. Moreover, the frequency of usage can be a source of improvement of both short- and long-term memory. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of environmental differences on short- and long-term memory in a traditional versus a contemporary population (Dani of Papua, n = 62; Polish, n = 134). We found that both short- and long-term memory varied in the two populations, living in totally distinct surroundings. However, there were no age differences between Polish and Dani participants in either short- or long-term memory tasks, indicating that culture was not a significant moderator of the memory differences between populations. The differences in short- and long-term memory between the two populations are consistent with the argument that short-term memory plays a more significant role in contemporary societies because of technical developments, the electronic revolution, and reading ability. The lack of an age difference appears to support the assumption that it is age, not culture, that plays a crucial role in the memory performance.
Collapse
|
6
|
Valge M, Meitern R, Hõrak P. Morphometric traits predict educational attainment independently of socioeconomic background. BMC Public Health 2019; 19:1696. [PMID: 31852467 PMCID: PMC6921596 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-8072-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Aim of this study is to describe the relationship between anthropometric traits and educational attainment among Estonian schoolchildren born between 1937 and 1962. We asked whether height, cranial volume and face width (a testosterone-dependent trait), measured in childhood predict later educational attainment independently of each other, family socioeconomic position (SEP) and sex. Associations between morphometric traits and education and their interactions with biosocial variables are of scholarly importance because higher education is nearly universally associated with low fertility in women, and often with high fertility in men. Hence, morphometric traits associated with educational attainment are targeted by natural selection and describing the exact nature of these associations is relevant for understanding the current patterns of evolution of human body size. Methods Data on morphometric measurements and family background of 11,032 Estonian schoolchildren measured between seven and 19 years of age were obtained from the study performed by Juhan Aul between 1956 and 1969. Ordinal logistic regression was used for testing the effects of morphometric traits, biosocial variables and their interaction on the cumulative probability of obtaining education beyond primary level. Results Of biosocial variables, family SEP was the most important determinant of educational attainment, followed by the sex, rural vs urban origin and the number of siblings. No significant interactions with morphometric traits were detected, i.e., within each category of SEP, rural vs urban origin and sex, taller children and those with larger heads and relatively narrower faces were more likely to proceed to secondary and/or tertiary education. The effect of height on education was independent of cranial volume, indicating that taller children did not obtain more educations because their brains were larger than those of shorter children; height per se was important. Conclusions Our main finding – that adjusting for other morphometric traits and biosocial variables, morphometric traits still robustly predicted educational attainment, is relevant for understanding the current patterns of evolution of human body size. Our findings suggest that fecundity selection acting on educational attainment could be partly responsible for the concurrent selection for smaller stature and cranial volume in women and opposite trends in men.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Markus Valge
- Department of Zoology, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Richard Meitern
- Department of Zoology, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Peeter Hõrak
- Department of Zoology, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Gurven M, Stieglitz J, Trumble B, Blackwell AD, Beheim B, Davis H, Hooper P, Kaplan H. The Tsimane Health and Life History Project: Integrating anthropology and biomedicine. Evol Anthropol 2017; 26:54-73. [PMID: 28429567 PMCID: PMC5421261 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The Tsimane Health and Life History Project, an integrated bio-behavioral study of the human life course, is designed to test competing hypotheses of human life-history evolution. One aim is to understand the bidirectional connections between life history and social behavior in a high-fertility, kin-based context lacking amenities of modern urban life (e.g. sanitation, banks, electricity). Another aim is to understand how a high pathogen burden influences health and well-being during development and adulthood. A third aim addresses how modernization shapes human life histories and sociality. Here we outline the project's goals, history, and main findings since its inception in 2002. We reflect on the implications of current findings and highlight the need for more coordinated ethnographic and biomedical study of contemporary nonindustrial populations to address broad questions that can situate evolutionary anthropology in a key position within the social and life sciences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Gurven
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of California‐Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara CA
| | | | - Benjamin Trumble
- Center for Evolution and Medicine; School of Human Evolution and Social ChangeArizona State UniversityTempeAZ
| | - Aaron D. Blackwell
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of California‐Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara CA
| | - Bret Beheim
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and CultureMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Helen Davis
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUT
| | | | - Hillard Kaplan
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of New MexicoAlbuquerqueNM
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Gurven M, Fuerstenberg E, Trumble B, Stieglitz J, Beheim B, Davis H, Kaplan H. Cognitive performance across the life course of Bolivian forager-farmers with limited schooling. Dev Psychol 2017; 53:160-176. [PMID: 27584668 PMCID: PMC5191915 DOI: 10.1037/dev0000175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive performance is characterized by at least two distinct life course trajectories. Many cognitive abilities (e.g., "effortful processing" abilities, including fluid reasoning and processing speed) improve throughout early adolescence and start declining in early adulthood, whereas other abilities (e.g., "crystallized" abilities like vocabulary breadth) improve throughout adult life, remaining robust even at late ages. Although schooling may impact performance and cognitive "reserve," it has been argued that these age patterns of cognitive performance are human universals. Here we examine age patterns of cognitive performance among Tsimane forager-horticulturalists of Bolivia and test whether schooling is related to differences in cognitive performance over the life course to assess models of active versus passive cognitive reserve. We used a battery of eight tasks to assess a range of latent cognitive traits reflecting attention, processing speed, verbal declarative memory, and semantic fluency (n = 919 individuals, 49.9% female). Tsimane cognitive abilities show similar age-related differences as observed in industrialized populations: higher throughout adolescence and only slightly lower in later adulthood for semantic fluency but substantially lower performance beginning in early adulthood for all other abilities. Schooling is associated with greater cognitive abilities at all ages controlling for sex but has no attenuating effect on cognitive performance in late adulthood, consistent with models of passive cognitive reserve. We interpret the minimal attenuation of semantic fluency late in life in light of evolutionary theories of postreproductive life span, which emphasize indirect fitness contributions of older adults through the transfer of information, labor, and food to descendant kin. (PsycINFO Database Record
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California-Santa Barbara, USA
| | - Eric Fuerstenberg
- Department of Anthropology, University of California-Santa Barbara, USA
| | - Ben Trumble
- Department of Anthropology, University of California-Santa Barbara, USA
- Center for Evolutionary Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, USA
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, USA
| | | | - Bret Beheim
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA
| | - Helen Davis
- Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Hillard Kaplan
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Trumble BC, Stieglitz J, Blackwell AD, Allayee H, Beheim B, Finch CE, Gurven M, Kaplan H. Apolipoprotein E4 is associated with improved cognitive function in Amazonian forager-horticulturalists with a high parasite burden. FASEB J 2016; 31:1508-1515. [PMID: 28031319 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201601084r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The apolipoprotein E4 (E4) allele is present worldwide, despite its associations with higher risk of cardiovascular morbidity, accelerated cognitive decline during aging, and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The E4 allele is especially prevalent in some tropical regions with a high parasite burden. Equatorial populations also face a potential dual burden of high E4 prevalence combined with parasitic infections that can also reduce cognitive performance. We examined the interactions of E4, parasite burden, and cognitive performance in a traditional, nonindustrialized population of Amazonian forager-horticulturalists (N = 372) to test whether E4 protects against cognitive decline in environments with a heavy pathogen burden. Contrary to observations in industrial populations, older adult E4 carriers with high parasite burdens either maintained or showed slight improvements in cognitive performance, whereas non-E4 carriers with a high parasite burden showed reduced cognitive performance. Being an E4 carrier is the strongest risk factor to date of AD and cognitive decline in industrial populations; it is associated with greater cognitive performance in individuals facing a high parasite and pathogen load, suggesting advantages to the E4 allele under certain environmental conditions. The current mismatch between postindustrial hygienic lifestyles and active parasite-rich environs may be critical for understanding genetic risk for cognitive aging.-Trumble, B. C., Stieglitz, J., Blackwell, A. D., Allayee, H., Beheim, B., Finch, C. E., Gurven, M., Kaplan, H. Apolipoprotein E4 is associated with improved cognitive function in Amazonian forager-horticulturalists with a high parasite burden.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Trumble
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA; .,Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Jonathan Stieglitz
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, Toulouse, France.,Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Aaron D Blackwell
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Hooman Allayee
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Institute for Genetic Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Bret Beheim
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Caleb E Finch
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Dornsife College, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Hillard Kaplan
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Gurven MD, Trumble BC, Stieglitz J, Yetish G, Cummings D, Blackwell AD, Beheim B, Kaplan HS, Pontzer H. High resting metabolic rate among Amazonian forager-horticulturalists experiencing high pathogen burden. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 161:414-425. [PMID: 27375044 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Revised: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Resting metabolic rate (RMR) reflects energetic costs of homeostasis and accounts for 60 to 75% of total energy expenditure (TEE). Lean mass and physical activity account for much RMR variability, but the impact of prolonged immune activation from infection on human RMR is unclear in naturalistic settings. We evaluate the effects of infection on mass-corrected RMR among Bolivian forager-horticulturalists, and assess whether RMR declines more slowly with age than in hygienic sedentary populations, as might be expected if older adults experience high pathogen burden. MATERIALS AND METHODS RMR was measured by indirect calorimetry (Fitmate MED, Cosmed) in 1,300 adults aged 20 to 90 and TEE was measured using doubly labeled water (n = 40). Immune biomarkers, clinical diagnoses, and anthropometrics were collected by the Tsimane Health and Life History Project. RESULTS Tsimane have higher RMR and TEE than people in sedentary industrialized populations. Tsimane RMR is 18 to 47% (women) and 22 to 40% (men) higher than expected using six standard prediction equations. Tsimane mass-corrected TEE is similarly elevated compared to Westerners. Elevated leukocytes and helminths are associated with excess RMR in multivariate regressions, and jointly result in a predicted excess RMR of 10 to 15%. After age 40, RMR declines by 69 kcal/decade (p < .0001). Controlling for lean mass and height accounts for 71% of age-related RMR decline, and adding indicators of infection minimally affects the age slope. The residual level of age-related decline from age 40 is 1.2% per decade. CONCLUSION High pathogen burden may lead to higher metabolic costs, which may be offset by smaller body mass or other energy-sparing mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA.
| | - Benjamin C Trumble
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
| | | | - Gandhi Yetish
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Daniel Cummings
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Aaron D Blackwell
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
| | - Bret Beheim
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Hillard S Kaplan
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
| | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Gettler LT, Oka RC. Aging US males with multiple sources of emotional social support have low testosterone. Horm Behav 2016; 78:32-42. [PMID: 26472597 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Among species expressing bi-parental care, males' testosterone is often low when they cooperate with females to raise offspring. In humans, low testosterone men might have an advantage as nurturant partners and parents because they are less prone to anger and reactive aggression and are more empathetic. However, humans engage in cooperative, supportive relationships beyond the nuclear family, and these prosocial capacities were likely critical to our evolutionary success. Despite the diversity of human prosociality, no prior study has tested whether men's testosterone is also reduced when they participate in emotionally supportive relationships, beyond partnering and parenting. Here, we draw on testosterone and emotional social support data that were collected from older men (n=371; mean: 61.2years of age) enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a US nationally-representative study. Men who reported receiving emotional support from two or more sources had lower testosterone than men reporting zero support (all p<0.01). Males with the most support (4+ sources) also had lower testosterone than those with one source of support (p<0.01). Men who reported emotional support from diverse (kin+non-kin or multiple kin) sources had lower testosterone than those with no support (p<0.05). Expanding on research on partnering and parenting, our findings are consistent with the notion that low testosterone is downstream of and/or facilitates an array of supportive social relationships. Our results contribute novel insights on the intersections between health, social support, and physiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States.
| | - Rahul C Oka
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Trumble BC, Gaulin SJC, Dunbar MD, Kaplan H, Gurven M. No Sex or Age Difference in Dead-Reckoning Ability among Tsimane Forager-Horticulturalists. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2015; 27:51-67. [DOI: 10.1007/s12110-015-9246-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|