|
1
|
Gong Z, de Rouen A, Zhang N, Alisch JSR, Bilgel M, An Y, Bae J, Fox NY, Guo A, Resnick SM, Mazucanti C, Klistorner S, Klistorner A, Egan JM, Bouhrara M. Age-Related Differences in the Choroid Plexus Structural Integrity Are Associated with Changes in Cognition. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2025:2025.02.27.25323022. [PMID: 40061356 PMCID: PMC11888513 DOI: 10.1101/2025.02.27.25323022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2025]
Abstract
The choroid plexus (CP) plays a critical role in maintaining central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis, producing cerebrospinal fluid, and regulating the entry of specific substances into the CNS from blood. CP dysfunction has been implicated in various neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis. This study investigates the relationship between CP structural integrity and cognitive decline in normative aging, using structural and advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques, including CP volume, diffusion tensor imaging indices (mean diffusivity, MD, and fractional anisotropy, FA) and relaxometry metrics (longitudinal, T1, and transverse, T2, relaxation times). Our results show that diminished CP microstructural integrity, as reflected by higher T1, T2, and MD values, or lower FA values, is associated with lower cognitive performance in processing speed and fluency. Notably, CP microstructural measures demonstrated greater sensitivity to cognitive decline than macrostructural measures, i.e. CP volume. Longitudinal analysis revealed that individuals with reduced CP structural integrity exhibit steeper cognitive decline over time. Furthermore, structural equation modeling revealed that a latent variable representing CP integrity predicts faster overall cognitive decline, with an effect size comparable to that of age. These findings highlight the importance of CP integrity in maintaining cognitive health and suggest that a holistic approach to assessing CP integrity could serve as a sensitive biomarker for early detection of cognitive decline. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the relationship between CP structural integrity and cognitive decline and to explore the potential therapeutic implications of targeting CP function to prevent or treat age-related cognitive deficits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoyuan Gong
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Angelique de Rouen
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Nathan Zhang
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Joseph S R Alisch
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Murat Bilgel
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Yang An
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Jonghyun Bae
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Noam Y Fox
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Alex Guo
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Susan M Resnick
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Caio Mazucanti
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Samuel Klistorner
- Save Sight Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alexander Klistorner
- Save Sight Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Josephine M Egan
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Mustapha Bouhrara
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| |
Collapse
|