A Tiny Muscle Could Predict Your Risk of Dementia

Did you know that a tiny muscle could hold the key to predicting dementia? It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, but researchers are uncovering fascinating connections between our muscles and brain health. Understanding these links could be crucial in combating cognitive decline as we age.

Emerging studies reveal that the health of our skeletal muscles is linked to our cognitive function, so muscle loss can be involved with the onset of dementia. This unexpected relationship between physical health and mental sharpness is an exciting new avenue for preventing age-related loss of memory...and presents some simple ways to maintain lean muscle mass and a sharp brain without much effort.

Let's take a deeper look at the surprising role that muscle health plays in our brains, from mitochondrial function to the potential of collagen. One of the most surprising scientific revelations is how a tiny muscle can be used as a big predictor of our future brain health!

Understanding Muscle Health and Cognitive Function

Let's chat about something pretty fascinating: the link between muscle health, specifically the temporalis muscle, and cognitive function. Research highlights that smaller temporalis muscle size in older adults is often associated with a drop in memory, brain volume, and functional abilities. This can spell trouble and possible cognitive impairments.

Key Points:

• Muscle Size & Dementia Risk: Images in patients who are older with reduced skeletal muscles are about 60% more likely to develop dementia if other factors exist too.
• Systemic Sarcopenia: The age-related decline in muscle mass, known as sarcopenia, often aligns with frailty and reduced mobility, which are linked to cognitive decline.
• Possible Interventions: Keeping an eye on changes in the temporalis muscle could be a handy way to flag early dementia risks. Physical activity and nutrition can help combat cognitive downturns.

With skeletal muscle mass linked to brain health, staying active and staying aware of your temporalis muscle thickness can be a way for you to be mindful of your brain health.

Every year, more observational studies and research are underway to help us better understand and manage our neurological health, including our risk of dementia.

The Link Between Muscle Loss and Cognitive Decline

Let's dive into an intriguing intersection of anatomy and neurology: how the size of our muscles, particularly the temporalis muscle, correlates with cognitive health. Research is showing that shrinking muscles might predict cognitive decline in older adults. In particular, skeletal muscle loss is clinically linked to significant early risk factors for cognitive issues in the research so far; furthermore, the smaller temporalis muscles indicate a potential onset of dementia.

As muscle loss naturally occurs with aging and is prevalent in conditions like Alzheimer's disease, you want to stay active to stay sharp!

Recent Studies on Muscle and Dementia

Statistical analysis and recent longitudinal studies, such as the one conducted at Johns Hopkins, confirm the muscle-dementia link. Researchers tracked participants over an average of 5.8 years and discovered those with smaller temporalis muscles had a 60% increased likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease dementia.

What’s fascinating is these participants also showed noticeable declines in memory performance, functional activity, and structural brain volumes.

This suggests that MRI measurements of the temporalis muscle could identify muscle wasting early, leading to timely interventions like enhanced physical activity and better nutritional support to reduce dementia risk.

Skeletal Muscle: It's More Than Just The Big Muscles

We've discovered that skeletal muscle mass is not just about physical strength; even our small muscles are an insightful marker for our brain health.

Doctors use various imaging methods—ultrasonography, DXA, and BIA—to assess muscle mass. Tracking the temporal muscle’s thickness in particular has a unique advantage - it's not affected by conditions that can affect muscle measurements like inflammation, edema, or radiation-related atrophy.

Temporal Muscle Thickness (TMT) has become a quick shorthand indicator of skeletal muscle mass and by extension, brain health. Temporal muscle thickness measurements are especially helpful for patients with brain tumors or diseases like stroke and glioblastoma or those who are having to use strong medications that affect thinking temporarily.

For most of us, probably what's of greatest interest is that sarcopenia has consistently been linked to cognitive impairment. That relationship underscores the intricate connection between our body's muscle status and brain function.

Another factor is one you'll probably never see...unless you have a high-powered microscope at hand.

How well your muscles work also comes down to something super tiny that creates the power for our bodies to do...well....everything! The energy-generating factories in every cell in our bodies (except fat cells) are our mitochondria. These microscopic power plants are called organelles and you have a lot of them in your body.

Mitochondrial Function and Its Impact on Brain Health

You already know now that when it comes to brain health, our skeletal muscles are more critical to our health than just flexing and lifting weights.

Recent research delved even deeper and has unveiled a fascinating link between skeletal muscle mitochondrial function and cognitive impairments, like mild dementia. This connection suggests that keeping our skeletal muscle mitochondria happy can also help keep our brains sharp!

Studies show that disturbances in mitochondrial function are a warning signs for cognitive decline, and appear to indicate an increased risk for neurological conditions like Alzheimer's disease.

Here's a quick glance at what researchers are focusing on:

• Key Indicators: Skeletal muscle mitochondrial health as an early indicator of cognitive decline.
• Prevention: Maintaining mitochondrial function might help mitigate adverse outcomes associated with dementia.
• Broader Implications: Skeletal muscles may also provide into new insights into brain volumes and the aging process.

Understanding the vital role mitochondria play in both muscle and brain health is an exciting new frontier for early detection and better management of neurodegenerative diseases.

So, next time you hit the gym, remember—you're not just building muscle; you're boosting your brain, too.

Examining Other Risk Indicators for Dementia

Several key factors can help predict who might be more at risk for dementia. As you can see, skeletal muscle health is definitely one to watch. You've seen that research has identified that a smaller cross-sectional area of the temporalis muscle, which is part of our complex skeletal muscles across the skull, can act as a risk factor for dementia. 

Surprisingly, older adults with smaller temporalis muscle sizes are around 60% more likely to develop dementia.

Talk about flexing your muscles to keep your brain in shape!

Another important piece of the puzzle is sarcopenia, which is the loss of muscle mass and strength often seen in aging adults. Sarcopenia doesn’t just affect how our physical bodies work - now we know it's also linked to how our brains work. 

People with sarcopenia tend to have lower scores in memory, verbal fluency, and word recall. 

How prevalent is sarcopenia? It's estimated that between 10% to 40% of community-dwelling older adults suffer from sarcopenia, so it's a significant concern in understanding dementia risk.

Aging Plays A Role

There is no getting around it - the effects of aging are something we all have to contend with, but we've added a new wrinkle, so to speak. Staying physically active and maintaining skeletal muscle mass is the first step to antiaging - but not just for looking fit—science now directly shows that staying active is also about keeping our minds sharp as we age.

Researchers also use other markers for determining the likelihood of developing dementia. You're probably familiar with plasma biomarkers like amyloid plaque levels. These are sticky knots and tangles of plaque in our brains.

In the past, researchers thought that Alzheimers was caused by plaques. But longitudinal study of so-called super agers shows that even though they are sharp well into their 80s and 90s, they still have plaques in their brains. 

Determining whether amalyoid plaque is the chicken or the egg in Alzheimers and other dementias is now a focus of more research.

There are other indicators too for tracking brain health. Doctors measure things like high levels of neurodegenerative markers such as neurofilament light (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in older adults. 

There are a head-spinning array of factors and complex biological markers being revealed by the latest research, but for doctors caring for older patients, this jigsaw puzzle offers them a more profound understanding for unlocking better prevention and diagnosis techniques.

But you and your doctor can skip all those biomarkers; you can use the closely knit relationship between your muscles and cognitive health to be at your best level of cognitive performance as you age. 

Keeping active and moving is an easy, proactive defense against dementia in the future...

...and that little chewing muscle can be your first alarm that you need to focus on movement more.

Raising Awareness of Warning Signs

All that poking and prodding, along with a long list of questions at your annual physical, probably make a lot more sense. (You do get an annual physical, right?!)

Your doctor can now track your skeletal muscle status and the onset of sarcopenia as a reliable means of assessing your cognitive impairment status. While some loss of muscle with aging is normal, quantification of skeletal muscle thickness and tracking any changes is now a low-tech, reliable marker for monitoring your risk of dementia.

Because the temporalis muscles are right there on your chin line, it's easy for your doctor to see and note how you are doing.

As we age, systemic sarcopenia causes frailty and reduced mobility; while we dismiss this as a natural aspect of aging, these are also early red flags. Visible aging conditions can also reveal deeper health issues like poor nutrition and systemic inflammation, which are also dementia risk indicators. 

If you are in poor physical health and have a history of stroke, these should be giant red flags for your doctor and you to monitor for your brain health. Remember to ask questions, convey your worries, and let your doctor know you are concerned about your health. Sometimes, it helps to write it all out and give it to your doctor at your appointment so you don't get flustered.

Lifestyle choices also play a significant role. Factors like lack of movement, a high body mass index (BMI over 35), and long periods of sitting are recognized as risk factors for dementia.  These are all things you can control.

Working with your doctor to track your muscle mass data can help him/her identify sarcopenia early. Remember, recognizing muscle loss early on can help physicians make an earlier diagnosis of dementia and take steps sooner to mitigate dementia risks.

Here's a helpful checklist to track with your doctor:

• Monitor temporalis muscle size
• How physically active are you (track your steps or activity with a wearable device)
• Manage body weight (BMI below 35)
• Create a food journal or use a tracking app for maintaining good nutrition
• Watch for signs of frailty
• Keep a history of strokes - any kind

Remember, you and your doctor are a team when it comes to your health.

The Researchers' Secret:
Collagen Maintains Lean Muscle Mass Even Without Exercise

Collagen isn't just about glowing skin; it also plays a big role in maintaining lean muscle mass. In fact, collagen is literally the building block that supports all your skeletal muscle mass.

When you’re not activating your muscles, your muscle mass declines. By measuring our muscle mass, we get insights into our brain health as well now that research has uncovered the links to cognitive impairment and even dementia or Alzheimers.

But here's where the secret of collagen comes in handy.

Because the essential amino acids in collagen foster muscle repair and growth and maintain muscle mass even during periods of inactivity, it can preserve our skeletal muscle size...even that tiny temporalis muscle researchers can now confidently associate as a health risk indicator.

Doctors love collagen because it:

• Supports skeletal muscles
• Aids in muscle repair
• Maintains lean muscle mass

Groundbreaking New Nootropic Collagen May Help Stave Off Dementia

We know that a smaller temporalis muscle can hint at systemic sarcopenia, which may foreshadow dementia. But how do you keep it in shape other than by chewing and wiggling your ears - if you can do that?

If you have reduced skeletal muscle mass, you are about 60% more likely to develop dementia. But there's more you can do for your brain....

A recent breakthrough in the world of collagen is the introduction of nootropic collagen. This new collagen form is high in di-peptides that are crucial to your brain as it creates Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in nerve and brain cells throughout your body. Further, it also contains nutrients your brain needs to stay sharp and efficient, and to keep your brain mass from shrinking, too.

Aging seems to be a process of shrinking mass all over the body - we lose lean muscle mass, brain mass, and even chewing muscle mass. But now you know the secret to how you can slow and even stop that progression...and reduce your risks of dementia.

Here’s a quick list of what you can do:

1. Physical Activity & Resistance Training: Regular exercise builds lean muscle mass. Resistance training strengthens your skeletal muscles which scientifically are shown to ward off cognitive decline. (Interestingly, the reservoir of energy for your immune system also comes from your lean muscle mass.) Collagen helps your muscles repair after a workout.
2. Take Triple-hydrolyzed (predigested) Liquid Collagen Regularly: The essential amino acids are the building blocks your body needs to maintain your lean muscle mass all over your body, even without exercise. During the sleep phase of your day, your body rebuilds, rejuvenates, and repairs itself with collagen. We lose collagen as we age, so if you aren't replenishing your supply, you could begin losing it even faster.
3. Use a Nootropic Collagen: Nootropics are smart foods that feed your brain. Nootropic collagen is formulated to preserve brain mass and provide the materials your body needs to create BDNF for more neurons and brain cells.
4. Eat Better: Ensure your muscles—and brain—get all the fuel they need from a diet rich in vitamins and minerals that complement your collagen intake. If you aren't a great eater, collagen is even more important to replace what your missing.  I'd add a liquid multivitamin too.

Table: Factors Influencing Dementia Risk

When you adopt these lifestyle changes and pay attention to that little muscle just above your ears, you'll be taking proactive steps on the road to healthier muscles and a sharper mind.  You'll also be doing your best to keep dementia at bay!

Want to Learn More?

Where is the temporalis muscle?

What is sarcopenia?

What is lean muscle mass?

What is skeletal muscle vs. other kinds of muscle?

Using the Temporalis Muscle Is a Money-saver:

Dr. Kamyar Moradi, of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, “Measuring temporalis muscle size as a potential indicator for generalized skeletal muscle status offers an opportunity for skeletal muscle quantification without additional cost or burden in older adults who already have brain MRIs for any neurological condition, such as mild dementia."

Dieters losing muscle instead of fat may be putting themselves at risk for brain health problems in the future.

Building muscle after 50 helps combat sarcopenia, which is linked to frailty, reduced mobility, and metabolic dysfunction - all factors associated with cognitive decline.

How diagnostic imaging can help you be proactive about your brain health.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can muscle loss increase the risk of developing dementia?

Recent studies have found a significant association between skeletal muscle loss and an increased risk of dementia. For instance, researchers realized skeletal muscle loss (for example, the temporalis muscle) in adults showed they are about 60% more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease dementia. 

2. How does the temporalis muscle relate to brain health and dementia risk?

The temporalis muscle is located on the side of the head behind the ears. It is used for chewing. Researchers are using this muscle as an indicator of overall skeletal muscle mass. But, researchers also found that muscle loss in a particular smaller cross-sectional area of the temporalis muscle is associated with a higher incidence of Alzheimer's disease dementia. Their studies showed that more muscle loss was associated with greater declines in memory and brain volume over time. Because there are not a lot of factors that affect this muscle, it is a very clear indicator of skeletal muscle health.

3. What steps can be taken to prevent muscle loss and reduce the risk of cognitive decline?

To avoid muscle loss and potentially lower the risk of cognitive decline, experts recommend interventions such as regular physical activity, resistance training, and nutritional support with supplements that build lean muscle mass like medical-grade, triple hydrolyzed, liquid collagen micropeptides. Being proactive can help you preserve muscle mass and support brain health as you age.

Research

Andel R., Crowe M., et al. Physical exercise at midlife and risk of dementia three decades later: A population-based study of Swedish twins. J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. 2008;63:62–66.

Borda MG, Patricio Baldera J, et al. Temporal Muscle Thickness Predicts Mortality and Disability in Older Adults Diagnosed with Mild Dementia. J Frailty Aging. 2024;13(4):441-447.

Bowden Davies K.A., Pickles S., et al. Reduced physical activity in young and older adults: Metabolic and musculoskeletal implications. Ther. Adv. Endocrinol. Metab. 2019;10:2042018819888824.

Cho J., Park M., et al. Sarcopenia in patients with dementia: Correlation of temporalis muscle thickness with appendicular muscle mass. Neurol. Sci. 2022;43:3089–3095.

Cruz-Jentoft A.J., Bahat G., et al. Sarcopenia: Revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis. Age Ageing. 2019;48:16–31.

Hasegawa Y., Yoshida M., Sato A., F., et al. Temporal muscle thickness as a new indicator of nutritional status in older individuals. Geriatr. Gerontol. Int. 2019;19:135–140.

Oudbier S.J., Goh J., Looijaard S.M.L.M., et al. Pathophysiological mechanisms explaining the association between low skeletal muscle mass and cognitive function. J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. 2022;77:1959–1968.

Silakarma D., Sudewi A.A.R. The role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in cognitive functions. Bali Med. J. 2019;8:518–525.

Sui S.X., Williams L.J., Holloway-Kew K.L., Hyde N.K., Pasco J.A. Skeletal muscle health and cognitive function: A narrative review. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020;22:255.

About the Author

Lisa Moretti is a Certified Health Coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN), the largest nutrition school in the world.  In 2015, she graduated at the top of her cohort. She has been professionally involved in the natural health and supplements world since 1981.