Neuroinflammation is a common event in degenerative diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system, triggered by alterations in the immune system or inflammatory cascade. The pathophysiology of these disorders is multifactorial, whereby the therapy available has low clinical efficacy. This review propounds the relationship between the deregulation of T helper cells and hypoxia, mainly Th17 and HIF-1α molecular pathways, events that are involved in the occurrence of the neuroinflammation. The clinical expression of neuroinflammation is included in prevalent pathologies such as multiple sclerosis, Guillain–Barré syndrome, and Alzheimer’s disease, among others. In addition, therapeutic targets are analyzed in relation to the pathways that induced neuroinflammation.

Alzheimer’s disease is a pathology characterized by the progressive loss of neuronal connections, which leads to gray matter atrophy in the brain. Alzheimer’s disease is the most prevalent type of dementia and has been classified into two types, early onset, which has been associated with genetic factors, and late onset, which has been associated with environmental factors. One of the greatest challenges regarding Alzheimer’s disease is the high economic cost involved, which is why the number of studies aimed at prevention and treatment have increased. One possible approach is the use of resistance exercise training, given that it has been shown to have neuroprotective effects associated with Alzheimer’s disease, such as increasing cortical and hippocampal volume, improving neuroplasticity, and promoting cognitive function throughout the life cycle. However, how resistance exercise training specifically prevents or ameliorates Alzheimer’s disease has not been fully characterized. Therefore, the aim of this review was to identify the molecular basis by which resistance exercise training could prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease.

Thyroid hormones play a crucial role in the development of the central nervous system and are considered pivotal to cognitive functions in the adult brain. Recently, thyroid dysfunction has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The aim of this study was to assess the neuroprotective effects of triiodothyronine (T3) on insulin signaling, neuroinflammation, apoptosis, and cognitive function in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced sporadic Alzheimer’s disease-like model. Male Wistar rats underwent stereotaxic surgery for intracerebroventricular injections of streptozotocin (STZ; 2 mg/kg) or vehicle in the lateral ventricles to induce an AD-like model. The animals received a daily dose of 1.5 μg of T3/100 g body weight or the same volume of vehicle for 30 days and were subdivided into four experimental groups: (1) animals receiving citrate treated with saline (Control = CTL); (2) animals receiving citrate treated with T3 (T3); (3) animals receiving STZ treated with saline (STZ); and (4) animals receiving STZ treated with T3 (STZ + T3). The novel object recognition test was used to measure cognitive function. Serum analysis, real-time RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and immunoblotting analyses were also carried out. Our results demonstrated that T3 treatment reversed cognitive impairment and increased Akt and GSK3 phosphorylation in the treated group, while also reducing microglial activation (Iba-1) and GFAP expression (reactive astrocytes), along with TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β levels in the hippocampus. Additionally, T3 treatment increased levels of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and reduced the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein BAX in the hippocampus. Our study demonstrated that T3 could potentially protect neurons in an AD model induced by STZ.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and sarcopenia are prevalent age-related conditions that often coexist and share common mechanisms such as chronic inflammation, reduced neuroplasticity, and impaired muscle function. Resistance exercise training (RET) has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological strategy capable of addressing both physical and cognitive decline. The aim of this narrative review is to synthesize preclinical and clinical evidence on the effects of RET in older adults with MCI and sarcopenia, with a specific focus on its impact on neuroinflammation, cognitive performance and structural brain changes. At the molecular level, RET activates anabolic pathways, including PI3K/Akt/mTOR, enhances neurotrophic support via BDNF, NT-3, and IGF-1, and promotes hippocampal neurogenesis through exercise-induced myokines such as irisin and cathepsin B. RET also exerts immunomodulatory actions by shifting microglia toward anti-inflammatory M2 phenotypes, attenuating reactive astrogliosis, and supporting oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation, thereby improving myelin integrity. Neuroimaging studies consistently report preservation of hippocampal and precuneus gray matter, as well as improved white matter connectivity following RET. Clinically, RET has demonstrated significant and sustained improvements in executive function, memory, and global cognition, with effects persisting for up to 18 months. Collectively, RET represents a multifaceted intervention with the potential to delay progression from MCI to Alzheimer’s disease by integrating neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anabolic effects. Standardization of RET protocols and identification of biomarkers of responsiveness are needed to optimize its role within multimodal dementia-prevention strategies.

Background: Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has emerged as a potential adjunct to cognitive training for enhancing cognitive performance in older peoples with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of combined NIBS and cognitive training on cognitive function in this population.Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, EBSCOhost, CINAHL Complete, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, Scopus, and Web of Science up to May 2025. The review followed PRISMA guidelines, and methodological quality was assessed using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine levels, the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool (RoB 2) tool for risk of bias, and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach for the certainty of evidence. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024563219). Studies were included if they assessed the effects of NIBS in combination with cognitive training on cognitive outcomes in older peoples with MCI.Results: A total of 1,689 records were screened, and 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. The results indicated a moderate positive effect of the combined intervention on attention and processing speed as measured by the Trail-Making Test Part A (TMT-A; effect size = 0.54). Improvements were also observed in global cognition as assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), though the results were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). No significant effects were found for the Trail-Making Test Part B (TMT-B), with effect sizes ranging from 0.05 to 0.52.Conclusion: The combination of NIBS and cognitive training appears to yield beneficial effects on specific cognitive domains, particularly attention and processing speed, in older people with MCI. These findings support the potential role of NIBS as an adjunctive intervention to cognitive training for enhancing cognitive function in this population. Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm these effects.Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024563219, identifier (CRD42024563219).