CASP1 and Mental deterioration: The cognitive decline in the aging process is regulated by the increased expression of caspase-1, a protein that regulates the maturation and secretion of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18, and decreased expression of BDNF, a protein that improves synaptic connectivity (Gemma and Bickford, 2007; Erickson et al., 2011; Neidl et al., 2016; Mejias et al., 2018).