Aging is a complex biological process and represents the largest risk factor for neurodegenerative disorders. The risk for neurodegenerative disorders is also increased in individuals with psychiatric disorders. Here, we characterized age-related transcriptomic changes in the brain by profiling ~800,000 nuclei from the orbitofrontal cortex from 87 individuals with and without psychiatric diagnoses and replicated findings in an independent cohort with 32 individuals. Aging affects all cell types, with LAMP5+LHX6+ interneurons, a cell-type abundant in primates, by far the most affected. Disrupted synaptic transmission emerged as a convergently affected pathway in aged tissue. Age-related transcriptomic changes overlapped with changes observed in Alzheimer's disease across multiple cell types. We find evidence for accelerated transcriptomic aging in individuals with psychiatric disorders and demonstrate a converging signature of aging and psychopathology across multiple cell types. Our findings shed light on cell-type-specific effects and biological pathways underlying age-related changes and their convergence with effects driven by psychiatric diagnosis.
GrantsNational Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health Hope for Depression Research Foundation BMBF eMED program grant DINGS Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Joachim Herz Foundation - Else-Kroener-Fresenius Foundation Brain & Behavior Research Foundation National Institute of Mental Health New South Wales Brain Tissue Resource Centre at the University of Sydney University of Sydney Nathalie Gerstner is supported by the Joachim Herz Foundation.