关键词: 认知老化, 非药物干预, 神经可塑性, 统一神经标志物, 多模态脑影像

Abstract: Addressing the critical public health challenge of age-related cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases prevention in the context of population aging, the present study focuses on non-pharmacological interventions as a promising strategy to attenuate cognitive deterioration in older adults. We aim to identify core unifying biomarker underlying heterogeneous interventions and establish causal evidence through three integrated studies. Study 1 leverages existing various types of intervention data (including behavioral and neuroimaging data) to develop a novel "core convergent network" hypothesis. We will systematically investigate common neural substrates across intervention types through multi-dimensional analyses of functional gradient, timescale, and brain asymmetry. Studies 2 and 3 employ repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) targeting network hubs identified in Study 1, combined with task-based fMRI and neuropsychological assessments, to conduct dual validation across healthy aging and pathological aging people. The present study establishes a closed-loop research paradigm from mechanistic exploration to causal verification. Expected outcomes will elucidate the common neural plasticity mechanisms underlying diverse interventions and provide an original theoretical framework for precision intervention strategies based on core brain network. The findings hold significant potential to advance dementia prevention systems and optimize healthy aging management, directly supporting China's national strategies including "Active Response to Population Aging" and "Healthy China 2030".

Key words: cognitive aging, non-pharmacological intervention, neural plasticity, unifying biomarker, multimodal neuroimaging