A new book review has been published in Volume 18. aging June 11, 2026, titled “Age-related dysfunction of the neuroendocrine axis in non-human primates with depression-like and anxiety behaviors.”
This book review dedicated to the late Dr. Mikhail (Misha) Blagoskrony was written by Nadezhda D. Goncharova of the Kurchatov Medical Primate Complex of the Kurchatov Research Institute, National Research Center in Adler, Sochi, Russia.
As people age, their risk of developing stress-related diseases such as depression, metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and neurodegenerative conditions increases significantly. However, not everyone ages in the same way. Some people appear to be more resilient to stress, while others develop endocrine and metabolic disorders that can accelerate aging and disease. Understanding the biological mechanisms behind these differences may help identify those at greater risk and support a more individualized approach to healthy aging.
In this review, the authors summarize decades of experimental research investigating how aging affects two major neuroendocrine systems, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis, in non-human primates that exhibit either typical adaptive behavior or depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors. Because rhesus macaques closely resemble humans in physiology, endocrine function, and behavior, they provide a valuable translational model for studying age-related changes that are difficult to examine in humans.
This study shows that older monkeys exhibiting depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors develop more pronounced HPA axis dysfunction than animals with standard behaviors. These animals showed impaired negative feedback regulation, elevated evening and nighttime cortisol levels, increased responses to acute stress, and increased activation of stress-related hormonal pathways. Taken together, these findings suggest age-related dysregulation of stress responses.
This review also describes important changes in thyroid function with age. Older animals exhibiting depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors showed decreased thyroxine secretion, reduced thyroid responsiveness to hormonal stimulation, and evidence of thyroid dysfunction. These endocrine changes were accompanied by increased insulin resistance, altered triglyceride metabolism, and decreased insulin secretion in overweight animals, indicating that stress-related neuroendocrine dysfunction can extend far beyond the brain.
Importantly, the findings suggest that behavioral traits can influence the aging of the endocrine system. Rather than experiencing the same biological changes over time, individuals who are more vulnerable to stress may develop more severe hormonal disorders that contribute to age-related diseases.
This review further highlights the value of functional endocrine testing. Dynamic assessments that measure hormonal responses to physiological stimuli and stress may provide more useful biomarkers of vulnerability than resting hormone levels alone and may allow earlier identification of individuals at increased risk for stress-related disorders.
”Monitoring individual behavior and function of key adaptive endocrine systems holds promise for early diagnosis, prevention, and personalized treatment of age-related pathologies.. ”
According to the authors, integrating behavioral assessments and endocrine biomarkers could improve the identification of individuals who are particularly susceptible to accelerated aging and stress-related diseases. Such approaches may ultimately support more individualized prevention strategies and targeted interventions aimed at maintaining healthy aging.
Overall, this review highlights that age-related changes in the body’s stress and thyroid hormone systems are strongly influenced by behavioral characteristics. Findings from studies in non-human primates suggest that individuals with depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors may experience greater endocrine dysfunction with age, providing valuable insight into mechanisms that may contribute to age-related diseases in humans and informing future personalized medicine approaches.
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Reference magazines:
Goncharova, N.D. (2026). Age-related neuroendocrine system dysfunction in non-human primates with depression-like and anxiety behaviors. aging. DOI: 10.18632/Aging.206388. https://www.aging-us.com/article/206388/text
