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Baranyi G, Buchanan CR, Conole ELS, Backhouse EV, Maniega SM, Valdés Hernández MDC, Bastin ME, Wardlaw J, Deary IJ, Cox SR, Pearce J. Life-course neighbourhood deprivation and brain structure in older adults: the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02591-9. [PMID: 38773266 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02591-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Neighbourhood disadvantage may be associated with brain health but the importance of exposure at different stages of the life course is poorly understood. Utilising the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936, we explored the relationship between residential neighbourhood deprivation from birth to late adulthood, and global and local neuroimaging measures at age 73. A total of 689 participants had at least one valid brain measures (53% male); to maximise the sample size structural equation models with full information maximum likelihood were conducted. Residing in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in mid- to late adulthood was associated with smaller total brain (β = -0.06; SE = 0.02; sample size[N] = 658; number of pairwise complete observations[n]=390), grey matter (β = -0.11; SE = 0.03; N = 658; n = 390), and normal-appearing white matter volumes (β = -0.07; SE = 0.03; N = 658; n = 390), thinner cortex (β = -0.14; SE = 0.06; N = 636; n = 379), and lower general white matter fractional anisotropy (β = -0.19; SE = 0.06; N = 665; n = 388). We also found some evidence on the accumulating impact of neighbourhood deprivation from birth to late adulthood on age 73 total brain (β = -0.06; SE = 0.02; N = 658; n = 276) and grey matter volumes (β = -0.10; SE = 0.04; N = 658; n = 276). Local analysis identified affected focal cortical areas and specific white matter tracts. Among individuals belonging to lower social classes, the brain-neighbourhood associations were particularly strong, with the impact of neighbourhood deprivation on total brain and grey matter volumes, and general white matter fractional anisotropy accumulating across the life course. Our findings suggest that living in deprived neighbourhoods across the life course, but especially in mid- to late adulthood, is associated with adverse brain morphologies, with lower social class amplifying the vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergő Baranyi
- Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health, School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Colin R Buchanan
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Eleanor L S Conole
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ellen V Backhouse
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute Centre at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Susana Muñoz Maniega
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute Centre at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Imaging, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - María Del C Valdés Hernández
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute Centre at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Imaging, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mark E Bastin
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Imaging, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Joanna Wardlaw
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute Centre at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Imaging, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jamie Pearce
- Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health, School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Madole JW, Buchanan CR, Rhemtulla M, Ritchie SJ, Bastin ME, Deary IJ, Cox SR, Tucker-Drob EM. Strong intercorrelations among global graph-theoretic indices of structural connectivity in the human brain. Neuroimage 2023; 275:120160. [PMID: 37169117 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Graph-theoretic metrics derived from neuroimaging data have been heralded as powerful tools for uncovering neural mechanisms of psychological traits, psychiatric disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. In N = 8,185 human structural connectomes from UK Biobank, we examined the extent to which 11 commonly-used global graph-theoretic metrics index distinct versus overlapping information with respect to interindividual differences in brain organization. Using unthresholded, FA-weighted networks we found that all metrics other than Participation Coefficient were highly intercorrelated, both with each other (mean |r| = 0.788) and with a topologically-naïve summary index of brain structure (mean edge weight; mean |r| = 0.873). In a series of sensitivity analyses, we found that overlap between metrics is influenced by the sparseness of the network and the magnitude of variation in edge weights. Simulation analyses representing a range of population network structures indicated that individual differences in global graph metrics may be intrinsically difficult to separate from mean edge weight. In particular, Closeness, Characteristic Path Length, Global Efficiency, Clustering Coefficient, and Small Worldness were nearly perfectly collinear with one another (mean |r| = 0.939) and with mean edge weight (mean |r| = 0.952) across all observed and simulated conditions. Global graph-theoretic measures are valuable for their ability to distill a high-dimensional system of neural connections into summary indices of brain organization, but they may be of more limited utility when the goal is to index separable components of interindividual variation in specific properties of the human structural connectome.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Madole
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle Division, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Colin R Buchanan
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mijke Rhemtulla
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Stuart J Ritchie
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Mark E Bastin
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK; Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Elliot M Tucker-Drob
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Population Research Center and Center on Aging and Population Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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Nyberg L, Andersson M, Lundquist A, Baaré WFC, Bartrés-Faz D, Bertram L, Boraxbekk CJ, Brandmaier AM, Demnitz N, Drevon CA, Duezel S, Ebmeier KP, Ghisletta P, Henson R, Jensen DEA, Kievit RA, Knights E, Kühn S, Lindenberger U, Plachti A, Pudas S, Roe JM, Madsen KS, Solé-Padullés C, Sommerer Y, Suri S, Zsoldos E, Fjell AM, Walhovd KB. Individual differences in brain aging: heterogeneity in cortico-hippocampal but not caudate atrophy rates. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:5075-5081. [PMID: 36197324 PMCID: PMC10151879 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well documented that some brain regions, such as association cortices, caudate, and hippocampus, are particularly prone to age-related atrophy, but it has been hypothesized that there are individual differences in atrophy profiles. Here, we document heterogeneity in regional-atrophy patterns using latent-profile analysis of 1,482 longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging observations. The results supported a 2-group solution reflecting differences in atrophy rates in cortical regions and hippocampus along with comparable caudate atrophy. The higher-atrophy group had the most marked atrophy in hippocampus and also lower episodic memory, and their normal caudate atrophy rate was accompanied by larger baseline volumes. Our findings support and refine models of heterogeneity in brain aging and suggest distinct mechanisms of atrophy in striatal versus hippocampal-cortical systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Nyberg
- Department of Radiation Sciences (Radiology), Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, University of Oslo, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0373 Oslo, Norway
| | - Micael Andersson
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anders Lundquist
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Statistics, USBE, Umeå University, Umeå S-90187, Sweden
| | - William F C Baaré
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital - Amager and Hvidovre, 2650 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - David Bartrés-Faz
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, and Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lars Bertram
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, University of Oslo, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0373 Oslo, Norway
- Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA), University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Carl-Johan Boraxbekk
- Department of Radiation Sciences (Radiology), Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital - Amager and Hvidovre, 2650 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Institute for Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, 2400 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen (ISMC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, 2400 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andreas M Brandmaier
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- MSB Medical School Berlin, 14197 Berlin, Germany
- Max Plank UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, 14195 Berlin, Germany, and London, UK
| | - Naiara Demnitz
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital - Amager and Hvidovre, 2650 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christian A Drevon
- Vitas AS, Science Park, 0349 Oslo, Norway
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo Norway
| | - Sandra Duezel
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Klaus P Ebmeier
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, OX3 7JX Oxford, UK
| | - Paolo Ghisletta
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland
- UniDistance Suisse, 3900 Brig, Switzerland
- Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research LIVES, University of Geneva, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Richard Henson
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 7EF, England
| | - Daria E A Jensen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, OX3 7JX Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, University of Oxford, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK
| | - Rogier A Kievit
- Cognitive Neuroscience Department, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ethan Knights
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 7EF, England
| | - Simone Kühn
- Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development & Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Max Plank UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, 14195 Berlin, Germany, and London, UK
| | - Anna Plachti
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital - Amager and Hvidovre, 2650 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sara Pudas
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - James M Roe
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, University of Oslo, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0373 Oslo, Norway
| | - Kathrine Skak Madsen
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital - Amager and Hvidovre, 2650 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Radiography, Department of Technology, University College Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Cristina Solé-Padullés
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, and Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yasmine Sommerer
- Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA), University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Sana Suri
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, OX3 7JX Oxford, UK
- Cognitive Neuroscience Department, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Enikő Zsoldos
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, OX3 7JX Oxford, UK
- Cognitive Neuroscience Department, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anders M Fjell
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, University of Oslo, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0373 Oslo, Norway
- Center for Computational Radiology and Artificial Intelligence, Oslo University Hospital, 0373 Oslo, Norway
| | - Kristine B Walhovd
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, University of Oslo, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0373 Oslo, Norway
- Center for Computational Radiology and Artificial Intelligence, Oslo University Hospital, 0373 Oslo, Norway
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4
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Baranyi G, Buchanan CR, Conole EL, Backhouse EV, Maniega SM, Hernandez MV, Bastin ME, Wardlaw J, Deary IJ, Cox SR, Pearce J. Life-course neighbourhood deprivation and brain structure in older adults: The Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.04.13.23288523. [PMID: 37131666 PMCID: PMC10153312 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.13.23288523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Neighbourhood disadvantage may be associated with brain health but the importance at different stages of the life course is poorly understood. Utilizing the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936, we explored the relationship between residential neighbourhood deprivation from birth to late adulthood, and global and regional neuroimaging measures at age 73. We found that residing in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in mid- to late adulthood was associated with smaller total brain (β=-0.06; SE=0.02; n=390) and grey matter volume (β=-0.11; SE=0.03; n=390), thinner cortex (β=-0.15; SE=0.06; n=379), and lower general white matter fractional anisotropy (β=-0.19; SE=0.06; n=388). Regional analysis identified affected focal cortical areas and specific white matter tracts. Among individuals belonging to lower occupational social classes, the brain-neighbourhood associations were stronger, with the impact of neighbourhood deprivation accumulating across the life course. Our findings suggest that living in deprived neighbourhoods is associated with adverse brain morphologies, with occupational social class adding to the vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergő Baranyi
- Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health, School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Colin R. Buchanan
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Eleanor L.S. Conole
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ellen V. Backhouse
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute Centre at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK
| | - Susana Muñoz Maniega
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Imaging, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute Centre at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK
| | - Maria Valdes Hernandez
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Imaging, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute Centre at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK
| | - Mark E. Bastin
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Imaging, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Joanna Wardlaw
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Imaging, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute Centre at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh UK
| | - Ian J. Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon R. Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jamie Pearce
- Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health, School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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The aging mind: A complex challenge for research and practice. AGING BRAIN 2023; 3:100060. [PMID: 36911259 PMCID: PMC9997127 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2022.100060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive decline as part of mental ageing is typically assessed with standardized tests; below-average performance in such tests is used as an indicator for pathological cognitive aging. In addition, morphological and functional changes in the brain are used as parameters for age-related pathological decline in cognitive abilities. However, there is no simple link between the trajectories of changes in cognition and morphological or functional changes in the brain. Furthermore, below-average test performance does not necessarily mean a significant impairment in everyday activities. It therefore appears crucial to record individual everyday tasks and their cognitive (and other) requirements in functional terms. This would also allow reliable assessment of the ecological validity of existing and insufficient cognitive skills. Understanding and dealing with the phenomena and consequences of mental aging does of course not only depend on cognition. Motivation and emotions as well personal meaning of life and life satisfaction play an equally important role. This means, however, that cognition represents only one, albeit important, aspect of mental aging. Furthermore, creating and development of proper assessment tools for functional cognition is important. In this contribution we would like to discuss some aspects that we consider relevant for a holistic view of the aging mind and promote a strengthening of a multidisciplinary approach with close cooperation between all basic and applied sciences involved in aging research, a quick translation of the research results into practice, and a close cooperation between all disciplines and professions who advise and support older people.
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