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Hayat M, Syed RA, Qaiser H, Uzair M, Al-Regaiey K, Khallaf R, Albassam LAM, Kaleem I, Wang X, Wang R, Bhatti MS, Bashir S. Decoding molecular mechanisms: brain aging and Alzheimer's disease. Neural Regen Res 2025; 20:2279-2299. [PMID: 39104174 PMCID: PMC11759015 DOI: 10.4103/nrr.nrr-d-23-01403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The complex morphological, anatomical, physiological, and chemical mechanisms within the aging brain have been the hot topic of research for centuries. The aging process alters the brain structure that affects functions and cognitions, but the worsening of such processes contributes to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. Beyond these observable, mild morphological shifts, significant functional modifications in neurotransmission and neuronal activity critically influence the aging brain. Understanding these changes is important for maintaining cognitive health, especially given the increasing prevalence of age-related conditions that affect cognition. This review aims to explore the age-induced changes in brain plasticity and molecular processes, differentiating normal aging from the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, thereby providing insights into predicting the risk of dementia, particularly Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahnoor Hayat
- Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Rafay Ali Syed
- Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Hammad Qaiser
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Basic & Applied Sciences, International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Mohammad Uzair
- Department of Bioengineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid Al-Regaiey
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Roaa Khallaf
- Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Center, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Imdad Kaleem
- Department of Biosciences, Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS University), Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Xueyi Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China
- Mental Health Institute of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China
| | - Ran Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China
- Mental Health Institute of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China
| | - Mehwish S. Bhatti
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Shahid Bashir
- Neuroscience Center, King Fahad Specialist Hospital Dammam, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
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Krishnamurthy R, Cloud C, Westemeyer R, Wang Y, Schultz DH, Dietsch AM. White Matter Microstructural Correlates of Swallowing Biomechanics: An Exploratory Pilot Study in Healthy Young Adults. Dysphagia 2025:10.1007/s00455-025-10841-3. [PMID: 40423782 DOI: 10.1007/s00455-025-10841-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2025] [Indexed: 05/28/2025]
Abstract
White matter (WM) enables complex brain connectivity by linking several cortical and subcortical regions. Most studies investigating the association between WM tracts and swallowing function have predominantly used a disease (lesion) based approach, and there is currently a paucity of research investigating the associations between swallowing physiology and WM microstructure in healthy individuals. Moreover, studies in healthy individuals are essential to understanding typical WM architecture and identifying any deviations caused by diseases or adaptations resulting from specific interventions or training regimes. The current study addresses this critical gap by investigating the association between quantitative metrics of WM microstructure and kinematic and temporal measures of swallowing biomechanics in healthy young adults. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) was obtained from 17 right-handed healthy adults (males = 9; females = 8) aged 20 to 35 (mean age = 27.11 years). DW-MRI was pre-processed and analyzed using a custom-developed analysis pipeline to generate diffusion tensor image (DTI) derived scalar measures. Furthermore, videofluoroscopic data were collected from these participants and quantified using computational analysis of swallowing mechanics (CASM) and traditional pixel-based temporal and kinematic measures. We performed partial correlations to explore the association between swallowing biomechanics and WM diffusion metrics, with participants' age and sex as covariates. Our study revealed that the corpus callosum, cerebellar peduncle, thalamic radiation, corticospinal tract, cingulum, stratum, corona radiata, fornix, internal capsule, external capsule, and the superior frontal-occipital fasciculus showed significant bidirectional associations with the kinematic and temporal measures of swallowing biomechanics investigated in the current study. These findings are interpreted in relation to lesion studies and well-established functions of WM tracts. Future directions and limitations of our study are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Krishnamurthy
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA.
- Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
| | - Caitlin Cloud
- Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Ross Westemeyer
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA, USA
| | - Yingying Wang
- Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
- Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Douglas H Schultz
- Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Angela M Dietsch
- Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
- Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
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Wang W, Zhang X, Lyu J, Duan Q, Yan F, Li R, Xing X, Li Y, Lou X. Neuroimaging Findings From Cerebral Structure and Function in Coronary Artery Disease. J Magn Reson Imaging 2025; 61:2066-2082. [PMID: 39340229 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.29624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2024] [Revised: 09/17/2024] [Accepted: 09/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
An increasing number of evidence suggests that bidirectional communication between the cardiovascular system and the central nervous system (CNS), known as the heart-brain interaction, is crucial in understanding the impact of coronary artery disease (CAD) on brain health. The multifactorial role of CAD in the brain involves processes such as inflammation, oxidative stress, neuronal activity, neuroendocrine imbalances, and reduced cerebral perfusion, leading to various cerebral abnormalities. The mechanisms underlying the relationship between CAD and brain injury are complex and involve parallel pathways in the CNS, endocrine system, and immune system. Although the exact mechanisms remain partially understood, neuroimaging techniques offer valuable insights into subtle cerebral abnormalities in CAD patients. Neuroimaging techniques, including assessment of neural function, brain metabolism, white matter microstructure, and brain volume, provide information on the evolving nature of CAD-related cerebral abnormalities over time. This review provides an overview of the pathophysiological mechanisms of CAD in the heart-brain interaction and summarizes recent neuroimaging studies utilizing multiparametric techniques to investigate brain abnormalities associated with CAD. The application of advanced neuroimaging, particularly functional, diffusion, and perfusion advanced techniques, offers high resolution, multiparametric capabilities, and high contrast, thereby allowing for the early detection of changes in brain structure and function, facilitating further exploration of the intricate relationship between CAD and brain health. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 5 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanbing Wang
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xinghua Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jinhao Lyu
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Duan
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Fei Yan
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Runze Li
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xinbo Xing
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yanhua Li
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Lou
- Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
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Mendis SB, Welstead M, Tan MP. A systematic review of epidemiological studies of life course socioeconomic status and adult structural brain changes. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2025; 171:106066. [PMID: 39984008 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2024] [Revised: 02/02/2025] [Accepted: 02/10/2025] [Indexed: 02/23/2025]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Disadvantaged socioeconomic status (SES) are linked with adverse cognitive outcomes in ageing and heightened dementia risk. Few studies have examined relationships between life course SES and adult structural brain changes that may be associated with cognitive decline. AIMS This systematic review assesses evidence from neuroimaging based epidemiological studies that have explored relationships between life course SES and adult structural brain changes. METHODS Embase, PsycINFO and Medline from inception to November 2020 were systematically searched according to strict search criteria which captured studies examining relationships between life course SES and adult structural neuroimaging changes. Bibliographies and citations of relevant papers were selected. Searches were limited to English language publications. RESULTS Amongst 8134 search results, 91 unique titles were screened and 24 studies selected. All 24 studies demonstrated at least partial relationships between disadvantaged life SES and adverse structural brain changes. Selected studies utilised diverse structural imaging techniques, neuroanatomical sites and operational definitions of life course SES. The methodological approaches and statistical analysis varied significantly between studies. We specifically discuss the neurobiological interpretation of Diffusion weighted MRI based studies and MRI volumetric studies investigating associations between life course SES and adult brain structural changes and the wider global health implications of these studies. CONCLUSION Disadvantaged life course SES may have associations with structural brain changes which underlie adverse ageing outcomes. Given heterogeneity of study designs and operationalisation of SES, the cross-sectional design of studies and wide-ranging neuroimaging modalities any association should be considered with caution. Mediatory mechanisms including malnutrition, stress, markers of inflammation, hormonal changes and cognitive reserve and health behaviour are presented in selected studies. Targeting life course SES in public health-based interventions may offer approaches to maintain healthy brain structure and function in ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahan Benedict Mendis
- The University of Edinburgh, Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, Scotland.
| | - Miles Welstead
- The University of Edinburgh, Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, Scotland.
| | - Marcus Pj Tan
- South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, Greater London SE5 8AZ, UK.
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Deschwanden PF, Hotz I, Mérillat S, Jäncke L. Functional connectivity-based compensation in the brains of non-demented older adults and the influence of lifestyle: A longitudinal 7-year study. Neuroimage 2025; 308:121075. [PMID: 39914511 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2024] [Revised: 01/16/2025] [Accepted: 02/03/2025] [Indexed: 02/09/2025] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The aging brain is characterized by structural decline and functional connectivity changes towards dedifferentiation, leading to cognitive decline. To some degree, the brain can compensate for structural deterioration. In this study, we aim to answer two questions: Where can we detect longitudinal functional connectivity-based compensation in the brains of cognitively healthy older adults? Can lifestyle predict the strength of this functional compensation? METHODS Using longitudinal data from 228 cognitively healthy older adults, we analyzed five measurement points over 7 years. Network-based statistics and latent growth modeling were employed to examine changes in structural and functional connectivity, as well as potential functional compensation for declines in processing speed and memory. Random forest and linear regression were used to predict the amplitude of compensation based on demographic, biological, and lifestyle factors. RESULTS Both functional and structural connectivity showed increases and decreases over time, depending on the specific connection and measure. Increased functional connectivity of 27 connections was linked to smaller declines in cognition. Five of those connections showed simultaneous decreases in fractional anisotropy, indicating direct compensation. The degree of compensation depended on the type of compensation and the cognitive ability, with demographic, biological, and lifestyle factors explaining 3.4-8.9% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS There are widespread changes in structural and functional connectivity in older adults. Despite the trend of dedifferentiation in functional connectivity, we detected both direct and indirect compensatory subnetworks that mitigated the decline in cognitive performance. The degree of compensation was influenced by demographic, biological, and lifestyle factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Frédéric Deschwanden
- University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging", University of Zurich, Stampfenbachstrasse 73, Zurich CH-8006, Switzerland.
| | - Isabel Hotz
- University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging", University of Zurich, Stampfenbachstrasse 73, Zurich CH-8006, Switzerland
| | - Susan Mérillat
- University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging", University of Zurich, Stampfenbachstrasse 73, Zurich CH-8006, Switzerland; Healthy Longevity Center, University of Zurich, Stampfenbachstrasse 73, Zurich CH-8006, Switzerland
| | - Lutz Jäncke
- University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging", University of Zurich, Stampfenbachstrasse 73, Zurich CH-8006, Switzerland
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Leitner M, Pirpamer L, Hofer E, Ropele S, Pasternak O, Schmidt R, Koini M. Free Water as a Marker of Early Small Vessel Disease in Healthy Aging. Eur J Neurol 2025; 32:e70094. [PMID: 40040357 PMCID: PMC11880618 DOI: 10.1111/ene.70094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2024] [Revised: 01/28/2025] [Accepted: 02/15/2025] [Indexed: 03/06/2025]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Brain aging is associated with cerebrovascular changes and related microstructural pathology. In this context, research indicates that small vessel disease (SVD) is characterized by increases in extracellular free water (FW). METHODS We examined 94 individuals with early signs of small vessel disease (eSVD; Mage = 69.47 years, SDage = 8.27; 59.6% female) and 94 age-matched controls (CON; Mage = 70.80 years, SDage = 8.59, 59.6% female). Individuals with eSVD were defined by having a white matter hyperintensity (WMH) score ≥ 2 or showing the presence of lacunes or microbleeds. We examined differences in the diffusion MRI measures between both groups. In addition, we assessed the association between age and the diffusion MRI measures averaged across the entire normal-appearing white matter (NAWM). To test if FW mediates the association of FW-uncorrected DTI measures and age, we applied simple mediation models. RESULTS Differences between individuals with eSVD and CON were identified for FW in NAWM and FW-uncorrected DTI, but not for FW-corrected DTI measures. Both FW and FW-uncorrected DTI measures in NAWM were significantly associated with age across the total sample (rrange = -0.24 to 0.44) and across each group (rrange = -0.36 to 0.48). In addition, the association between FW-uncorrected DTI measures and age was mediated by FW. CONCLUSIONS Even in subjects with subtle, clinically silent, cerebral white matter changes, increases in FW could be observed compared to individuals without those changes. Therefore, FW might act as a sensitive marker at the earliest signs of SVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Leitner
- Department of NeurologyMedical University of GrazGrazAustria
| | - Lukas Pirpamer
- Department of NeurologyMedical University of GrazGrazAustria
- Medical Image Analysis Center (MIAC) and Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Edith Hofer
- Department of NeurologyMedical University of GrazGrazAustria
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and DocumentationMedical University of GrazGrazAustria
| | - Stefan Ropele
- Department of NeurologyMedical University of GrazGrazAustria
| | - Ofer Pasternak
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Marisa Koini
- Department of NeurologyMedical University of GrazGrazAustria
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Howes O, Marcinkowska J, Turkheimer FE, Carr R. Synaptic changes in psychiatric and neurological disorders: state-of-the art of in vivo imaging. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 50:164-183. [PMID: 39134769 PMCID: PMC11525650 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01943-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 11/01/2024]
Abstract
Synapses are implicated in many neuropsychiatric illnesses. Here, we provide an overview of in vivo techniques to index synaptic markers in patients. Several positron emission tomography (PET) tracers for synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 A (SV2A) show good reliability and selectivity. We review over 50 clinical studies including over 1700 participants, and compare findings in healthy ageing and across disorders, including addiction, schizophrenia, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and neurodegenerative disorders, including tauopathies, Huntington's disease and α-synucleinopathies. These show lower SV2A measures in cortical brain regions across most of these disorders relative to healthy volunteers, with the most well-replicated findings in tauopathies, whilst changes in Huntington's chorea, Parkinson's disease, corticobasal degeneration and progressive supranuclear palsy are predominantly subcortical. SV2A PET measures are correlated with functional connectivity across brain networks, and a number of other measures of brain function, including glucose metabolism. However, the majority of studies found no relationship between grey matter volume measured with magnetic resonance imaging and SV2A PET measures. Cognitive dysfunction, in domains including working memory and executive function, show replicated inverse relationships with SV2A measures across diagnoses, and initial findings also suggest transdiagnostic relationships with mood and anxiety symptoms. This suggests that synaptic abnormalities could be a common pathophysiological substrate underlying cognitive and, potentially, affective symptoms. We consider limitations of evidence and future directions; highlighting the need to develop postsynaptic imaging markers and for longitudinal studies to test causal mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Howes
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England.
- South London & the Maudsley NHS Trust, London, England.
- London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, England.
| | - Julia Marcinkowska
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England
| | - Federico E Turkheimer
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England
| | - Richard Carr
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England
- South London & the Maudsley NHS Trust, London, England
- London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, England
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Xu L, Gao Y, Li M, Lawless R, Zhao Y, Schilling KG, Rogers BP, Anderson AW, Ding Z, Landman BA, Gore JC. Functional correlation tensors in brain white matter and the effects of normal aging. Brain Imaging Behav 2024; 18:1197-1214. [PMID: 39235695 PMCID: PMC11582213 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-024-00914-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
Resting state correlations between blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) MRI signals from voxels in white matter (WM) are demonstrably anisotropic, so that functional correlation tensors (FCT) may be used to quantify the underlying microstructure of BOLD effects in WM tracts. However, the overall spatial distribution of FCTs and their metrics in specific populations has not yet been established, and the factors that affect their precise arrangements remain unclear. Changes in WM occur with normal aging, and these may be expected to affect FCTs. We hypothesized that FCTs exhibit a characteristic spatial pattern and may show systematic changes with aging or other factors. Here we report our analyses of the FCT characteristics of fMRI images of a large cohort of 461 cognitively normal subjects (190 females, 271 males) sourced from the Open Access Series of Imaging Studies (OASIS), with age distributions of 42 y/o - 95 y/o. Group averages and statistics of FCT indices, including axial functional correlations, radial functional correlations, mean functional correlations and fractional anisotropy, were quantified in WM bundles defined by the JHU ICBM-DTI-81 WM atlas. In addition, their variations with normal aging were examined. The results revealed a dimorphic distribution of changes in FCT metrics with age, with decreases of the functional correlations in some regions and increases in others. Supplementary analysis revealed that females exhibited significant age effects on a greater number of WM areas, but the interaction between age and sex was not significant. The findings demonstrate the reproducibility of the spatial distribution of FCT metrics and reveal subtle regional changes with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyuan Xu
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave. S, Medical Center North, Nashville, TN, AA-1105, 37232-2310, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yurui Gao
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave. S, Medical Center North, Nashville, TN, AA-1105, 37232-2310, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Muwei Li
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave. S, Medical Center North, Nashville, TN, AA-1105, 37232-2310, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Richard Lawless
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave. S, Medical Center North, Nashville, TN, AA-1105, 37232-2310, USA
| | - Yu Zhao
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave. S, Medical Center North, Nashville, TN, AA-1105, 37232-2310, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Kurt G Schilling
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave. S, Medical Center North, Nashville, TN, AA-1105, 37232-2310, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Baxter P Rogers
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave. S, Medical Center North, Nashville, TN, AA-1105, 37232-2310, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Adam W Anderson
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave. S, Medical Center North, Nashville, TN, AA-1105, 37232-2310, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Zhaohua Ding
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave. S, Medical Center North, Nashville, TN, AA-1105, 37232-2310, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Bennett A Landman
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave. S, Medical Center North, Nashville, TN, AA-1105, 37232-2310, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - John C Gore
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave. S, Medical Center North, Nashville, TN, AA-1105, 37232-2310, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
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Bettcher BM, Lopez Paniagua D, Wang Y, McConnell BV, Coughlan C, Carlisle TC, Thaker AA, Lippitt W, Filley CM, Pelak VS, Shapiro AL, Heffernan KS, Potter H, Solano A, Boyd J, Carlson NE. Synergistic effects of GFAP and Aβ42: Implications for white matter integrity and verbal memory across the cognitive spectrum. Brain Behav Immun Health 2024; 40:100834. [PMID: 39206431 PMCID: PMC11357780 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), an astrocytic biomarker, has previously been linked with Alzheimer's disease (AD) status, amyloid levels, and memory performance in older adults. The neuroanatomical pathways by which astrogliosis/astrocyte reactivity might impact cognitive outcomes remains unclear. We evaluated whether plasma GFAP and amyloid levels had a synergistic effect on fornix structure, which is critically involved in AD-associated cholinergic pathways. We also examined whether fornix structure mediates associations between GFAP and verbal memory. Methods In a cohort of both asymptomatic and symptomatic older adults (total n = 99), we assessed plasma GFAP, amyloid-β42 (Aβ42), other AD-related proteins, and vascular markers, and we conducted comprehensive memory testing. Tractography-based methods were used to assess fornix structure with whole brain diffusion metrics to control for diffuse alterations in brain white matter. Results In individuals in the low plasma amyloid-β42 (Aβ42) group, higher plasma GFAP was associated with lower fractional anisotropy (FA; p = 0.007), higher mean diffusivity (MD; p < 0.001), higher radial diffusivity (RD; p < 0.001), and higher axial diffusivity (DA; p = 0.001) in the left fornix. These associations were independent of APOE gene status, plasma levels of total tau and neurofilament light, plasma vascular biomarkers, and whole brain diffusion metrics. In a sub-analysis of participants in the low plasma Aβ42 group (n = 33), fornix structure mediated the association between higher plasma GFAP levels and lower verbal memory performance. Discussion Higher plasma GFAP was associated with altered fornix microstructure in the setting of greater amyloid deposition. We also expanded on our prior GFAP-verbal memory findings by demonstrating that in the low plasma Aβ42 group, left fornix integrity may be a primary white matter conduit for the negative associations between GFAP and verbal memory performance. Overall, these findings suggest that astrogliosis/astrocyte reactivity may play an early, pivotal role in AD pathogenesis, and further demonstrate that high GFAP and low Aβ42 in plasma may reflect a particularly detrimental synergistic role in forniceal-memory pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianne M. Bettcher
- Department of Neurology, Behavioral Neurology Section, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Dan Lopez Paniagua
- Department of Radiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Brice V. McConnell
- Department of Neurology, Behavioral Neurology Section, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Christina Coughlan
- Department of Neurology, University of Colorado Alzheimer's & Cognition Center, Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Tara C. Carlisle
- Department of Neurology, Behavioral Neurology Section, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Ashesh A. Thaker
- Department of Radiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Radiology, Denver Health, Denver, CO, USA
| | - William Lippitt
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Christopher M. Filley
- Behavioral Neurology Section, Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, University of Colorado Alzheimer's & Cognition Center, Marcus Institute for Brain Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Victoria S. Pelak
- Department of Neurology, Behavioral Neurology Section, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Allison L.B. Shapiro
- Section of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Kate S. Heffernan
- Department of Neurology, Behavioral Neurology Section, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Huntington Potter
- Department of Neurology, University of Colorado Alzheimer's & Cognition Center, Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Adriana Solano
- Department of Neurology, University of Colorado Alzheimer's & Cognition Center, Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jada Boyd
- Department of Neurology, Behavioral Neurology Section, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Nichole E. Carlson
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
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10
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Korbmacher M, van der Meer D, Beck D, Askeland-Gjerde DE, Eikefjord E, Lundervold A, Andreassen OA, Westlye LT, Maximov II. Distinct Longitudinal Brain White Matter Microstructure Changes and Associated Polygenic Risk of Common Psychiatric Disorders and Alzheimer's Disease in the UK Biobank. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:100323. [PMID: 39132576 PMCID: PMC11313202 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background During the course of adulthood and aging, white matter (WM) structure and organization are characterized by slow degradation processes such as demyelination and shrinkage. An acceleration of such aging processes has been linked to the development of a range of diseases. Thus, an accurate description of healthy brain maturation, particularly in terms of WM features, is fundamental to the understanding of aging. Methods We used longitudinal diffusion magnetic resonance imaging to provide an overview of WM changes at different spatial and temporal scales in the UK Biobank (UKB) (n = 2678; agescan 1 = 62.38 ± 7.23 years; agescan 2 = 64.81 ± 7.1 years). To examine the genetic overlap between WM structure and common clinical conditions, we tested the associations between WM structure and polygenic risk scores for the most common neurodegenerative disorder, Alzheimer's disease, and common psychiatric disorders (unipolar and bipolar depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism, schizophrenia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) in longitudinal (n = 2329) and cross-sectional (n = 31,056) UKB validation data. Results Our findings indicate spatially distributed WM changes across the brain, as well as distributed associations of polygenic risk scores with WM. Importantly, brain longitudinal changes reflected genetic risk for disorder development better than the utilized cross-sectional measures, with regional differences giving more specific insights into gene-brain change associations than global averages. Conclusions We extend recent findings by providing a detailed overview of WM microstructure degeneration on different spatial levels, helping to understand fundamental brain aging processes. Further longitudinal research is warranted to examine aging-related gene-brain associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Korbmacher
- Department of Health and Functioning, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Mohn Medical Imaging and Visualization Centre, Bergen, Norway
| | - Dennis van der Meer
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Dani Beck
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Daniel E. Askeland-Gjerde
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Eli Eikefjord
- Department of Health and Functioning, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway
- Mohn Medical Imaging and Visualization Centre, Bergen, Norway
| | - Arvid Lundervold
- Mohn Medical Imaging and Visualization Centre, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ole A. Andreassen
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lars T. Westlye
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ivan I. Maximov
- Department of Health and Functioning, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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11
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Correia R, Corrêa D, Doring T, Theodoro C, Correia A, Coelho V, Dib JG, Marchiori E, Alves Leon SV, Rueda Lopes FC. Severity of white matter microstructural damage in a Brazilian relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis cohort: A possible window to optimize treatment. Neuroradiol J 2024; 37:60-67. [PMID: 37915211 PMCID: PMC10863572 DOI: 10.1177/19714009231212372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an important cause of acquired neurological disability in young adults, characterized by multicentric inflammation, demyelination, and axonal damage. OBJECTIVE The objective is to investigate white matter (WM) damage progression in a Brazilian MS patient cohort, using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) post-processed by tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). METHODS DTI scans were acquired from 76 MS patients and 37 sex-and-age matched controls. Patients were divided into three groups based on disease duration. DTI was performed along 30 non-collinear directions by using a 1.5T imager. For TBSS analysis, the WM skeleton was created, and a 5000 permutation-based inference with a threshold of p < .05 was used, to enable the identification of abnormalities in fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD). RESULTS Decreased FA and increased RD, MD, and AD were seen in patients compared to controls and a decreased FA and increased MD and RD were seen, predominantly after the first 5 years of disease, when compared between groups. CONCLUSION Progressive WM deterioration is seen over time with a more prominent pattern after 5 years of disease onset, providing evidence that the early years might be a window to optimize treatment and prevent disability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Correia
- Department of Radiology, Federal Fluminense University (UFF), Niterói – RJ, Brazil
| | - Diogo Corrêa
- Department of Radiology, Federal Fluminense University (UFF), Niterói – RJ, Brazil
| | - Thomas Doring
- Department of Radiology, Clinicas de Diagnóstico por Imagem (CDPI), Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Brazil
| | - Carmem Theodoro
- Department of Gastroenterology, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói – RJ, Brazil
| | - Aline Correia
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Fortaleza, Fortaleza – CE, Brazil
| | - Valeria Coelho
- Department of Neurology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro(UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Brazil
| | - João Gabriel Dib
- Department of Neurology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro(UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Brazil
| | - Edson Marchiori
- Department of Radiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de janeiro – RJ, Brazil
| | - Soniza V Alves Leon
- Department of Neurology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro(UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Brazil
| | - Fernanda C Rueda Lopes
- Department of Radiology, Federal Fluminense University (UFF), Niterói – RJ, Brazil
- Department of Radiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de janeiro – RJ, Brazil
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12
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Schilling KG, Chad JA, Chamberland M, Nozais V, Rheault F, Archer D, Li M, Gao Y, Cai L, Del'Acqua F, Newton A, Moyer D, Gore JC, Lebel C, Landman BA. White matter tract microstructure, macrostructure, and associated cortical gray matter morphology across the lifespan. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.25.559330. [PMID: 37808645 PMCID: PMC10557619 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.25.559330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Characterizing how, when and where the human brain changes across the lifespan is fundamental to our understanding of developmental processes of childhood and adolescence, degenerative processes of aging, and divergence from normal patterns in disease and disorders. We aimed to provide detailed descriptions of white matter pathways across the lifespan by thoroughly characterizing white matter microstructure, white matter macrostructure, and morphology of the cortex associated with white matter pathways. We analyzed 4 large, high-quality, publicly-available datasets comprising 2789 total imaging sessions, and participants ranging from 0 to 100 years old, using advanced tractography and diffusion modeling. We first find that all microstructural, macrostructural, and cortical features of white matter bundles show unique lifespan trajectories, with rates and timing of development and degradation that vary across pathways - describing differences between types of pathways and locations in the brain, and developmental milestones of maturation of each feature. Second, we show cross-sectional relationships between different features that may help elucidate biological changes occurring during different stages of the lifespan. Third, we show unique trajectories of age-associations across features. Finally, we find that age associations during development are strongly related to those during aging. Overall, this study reports normative data for several features of white matter pathways of the human brain that will be useful for studying normal and abnormal white matter development and degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt G Schilling
- Department of Radiology & Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jordan A Chad
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Maxime Chamberland
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | | | - Francois Rheault
- Medical Imaging and Neuroinformatic (MINi) Lab, Department of Computer Science, University of Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Derek Archer
- Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer's Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Muwei Li
- Department of Radiology & Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yurui Gao
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Leon Cai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Flavio Del'Acqua
- NatbrainLab, Department of Forensics and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, King's College London, London UK
| | - Allen Newton
- Department of Radiology & Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Daniel Moyer
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - John C Gore
- Department of Radiology & Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Catherine Lebel
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Bennett A Landman
- Department of Radiology & Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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13
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Gao Y, Zhao Y, Li M, Lawless RD, Schilling KG, Xu L, Shafer AT, Beason-Held LL, Resnick SM, Rogers BP, Ding Z, Anderson AW, Landman BA, Gore JC. Functional alterations in bipartite network of white and grey matters during aging. Neuroimage 2023; 278:120277. [PMID: 37473978 PMCID: PMC10529380 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The effects of normal aging on functional connectivity (FC) within various brain networks of gray matter (GM) have been well-documented. However, the age effects on the networks of FC between white matter (WM) and GM, namely WM-GM FC, remains unclear. Evaluating crucial properties, such as global efficiency (GE), for a WM-GM FC network poses a challenge due to the absence of closed triangle paths which are essential for assessing network properties in traditional graph models. In this study, we propose a bipartite graph model to characterize the WM-GM FC network and quantify these challenging network properties. Leveraging this model, we assessed the WM-GM FC network properties at multiple scales across 1,462 cognitively normal subjects aged 22-96 years from three repositories (ADNI, BLSA and OASIS-3) and investigated the age effects on these properties throughout adulthood and during late adulthood (age ≥70 years). Our findings reveal that (1) heterogeneous alterations occurred in region-specific WM-GM FC over the adulthood and decline predominated during late adulthood; (2) the FC density of WM bundles engaged in memory, executive function and processing speed declined with age over adulthood, particularly in later years; and (3) the GE of attention, default, somatomotor, frontoparietal and limbic networks reduced with age over adulthood, and GE of visual network declined during late adulthood. These findings provide unpresented insights into multi-scale alterations in networks of WM-GM functional synchronizations during normal aging. Furthermore, our bipartite graph model offers an extendable framework for quantifying WM-engaged networks, which may contribute to a wide range of neuroscience research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurui Gao
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Yu Zhao
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Muwei Li
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Richard D Lawless
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Kurt G Schilling
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Lyuan Xu
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Andrea T Shafer
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lori L Beason-Held
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Susan M Resnick
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Baxter P Rogers
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Zhaohua Ding
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Adam W Anderson
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Bennett A Landman
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - John C Gore
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
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14
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Scheffels JF, Ballasch I, Scheichel N, Voracek M, Kalbe E, Kessler J. The Influence of Age, Gender and Education on Neuropsychological Test Scores: Updated Clinical Norms for Five Widely Used Cognitive Assessments. J Clin Med 2023; 12:5170. [PMID: 37629212 PMCID: PMC10455991 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12165170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sociodemographic effects (i.e., age, gender, education) have been shown to influence neuropsychological test scores. The current retrospective, quasi-epidemiological work provides age-, gender- and education-corrected clinical norms for five common cognitive assessments. METHODS In total, test scores of 4968 patients from the University Hospital of Cologne (Department of Neurology), recruited between 2009 and 2020, were analyzed retrospectively. Conducted tests were the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), F-A-S Test (FAS), Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCFT) and Trail Making Test, Part A and B (TMT-A/-B). Using multiple linear regression analyses, test scores were analyzed for sociodemographic influences (age, gender, education). Based on these analyses, norms were generated by first separating patients into different age groups stratified by educational level and (if necessary) gender. Subsequently, percentile ranks and z-scores for a subsample including only individuals without dementia were calculated. RESULTS Lower age and higher educational level predicted better test scores (MMSE, FAS, ROCFT) and completion times (TMT-A/-B). Additionally, produced words on the FAS and remembered drawings from the ROCFT were influenced by gender, with females having better FAS but lower ROCFT (delayed recall) scores than males. Considering these effects, clinical norms were provided for the five cognitive assessments. CONCLUSIONS We found influences of age, gender and education on test scores, although they are frequently not or only partially considered for test score interpretation. With the provided norms, neuropsychologists can make more profound evaluations of cognitive performance. A user-friendly Microsoft Excel file is offered to assist this process.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Isabell Ballasch
- Department of Medical Psychology, Neuropsychology & Gender Studies, Center for Neuropsychological Diagnostics and Intervention (CeNDI), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Nadine Scheichel
- Department of Medical Psychology, Neuropsychology & Gender Studies, Center for Neuropsychological Diagnostics and Intervention (CeNDI), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Voracek
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Elke Kalbe
- Department of Medical Psychology, Neuropsychology & Gender Studies, Center for Neuropsychological Diagnostics and Intervention (CeNDI), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Josef Kessler
- Department of Medical Psychology, Neuropsychology & Gender Studies, Center for Neuropsychological Diagnostics and Intervention (CeNDI), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
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15
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Korbmacher M, de Lange AM, van der Meer D, Beck D, Eikefjord E, Lundervold A, Andreassen OA, Westlye LT, Maximov II. Brain-wide associations between white matter and age highlight the role of fornix microstructure in brain ageing. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:4101-4119. [PMID: 37195079 PMCID: PMC10258541 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Unveiling the details of white matter (WM) maturation throughout ageing is a fundamental question for understanding the ageing brain. In an extensive comparison of brain age predictions and age-associations of WM features from different diffusion approaches, we analyzed UK Biobank diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) data across midlife and older age (N = 35,749, 44.6-82.8 years of age). Conventional and advanced dMRI approaches were consistent in predicting brain age. WM-age associations indicate a steady microstructure degeneration with increasing age from midlife to older ages. Brain age was estimated best when combining diffusion approaches, showing different aspects of WM contributing to brain age. Fornix was found as the central region for brain age predictions across diffusion approaches in complement to forceps minor as another important region. These regions exhibited a general pattern of positive associations with age for intra axonal water fractions, axial, radial diffusivities, and negative relationships with age for mean diffusivities, fractional anisotropy, kurtosis. We encourage the application of multiple dMRI approaches for detailed insights into WM, and the further investigation of fornix and forceps as potential biomarkers of brain age and ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Korbmacher
- Department of Health and FunctioningWestern Norway University of Applied SciencesBergenNorway
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and AddictionUniversity of Oslo and Oslo University HospitalOsloNorway
- Mohn Medical Imaging and Visualisation Center (MMIV)BergenNorway
| | - Ann Marie de Lange
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and AddictionUniversity of Oslo and Oslo University HospitalOsloNorway
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- LREN, Centre for Research in Neurosciences–Department of Clinical NeurosciencesCHUV and University of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Dennis van der Meer
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and AddictionUniversity of Oslo and Oslo University HospitalOsloNorway
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life SciencesMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtNetherlands
| | - Dani Beck
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and AddictionUniversity of Oslo and Oslo University HospitalOsloNorway
- Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet HospitalOsloNorway
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Eli Eikefjord
- Department of Health and FunctioningWestern Norway University of Applied SciencesBergenNorway
- Mohn Medical Imaging and Visualisation Center (MMIV)BergenNorway
| | - Arvid Lundervold
- Department of Health and FunctioningWestern Norway University of Applied SciencesBergenNorway
- Mohn Medical Imaging and Visualisation Center (MMIV)BergenNorway
- Department of RadiologyHaukeland University HospitalBergenNorway
- Department of BiomedicineUniversity of BergenBergenNorway
| | - Ole A. Andreassen
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and AddictionUniversity of Oslo and Oslo University HospitalOsloNorway
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental DisordersUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Lars T. Westlye
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and AddictionUniversity of Oslo and Oslo University HospitalOsloNorway
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental DisordersUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Ivan I. Maximov
- Department of Health and FunctioningWestern Norway University of Applied SciencesBergenNorway
- NORMENT Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and AddictionUniversity of Oslo and Oslo University HospitalOsloNorway
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16
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Bingham KS, Calarco N, Dickie EW, Alexopoulos GS, Butters MA, Meyers BS, Marino P, Neufeld NH, Rothschild AJ, Whyte EM, Mulsant BH, Flint AJ, Voineskos AN. The relationship of white matter microstructure with psychomotor disturbance and relapse in remitted psychotic depression. J Affect Disord 2023; 334:317-324. [PMID: 37149056 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.04.136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychomotor disturbance is common in psychotic depression and is associated with relapse. In this analysis, we examined whether white matter microstructure is associated with relapse probability in psychotic depression and, if so, whether white matter microstructure accounts for the association between psychomotor disturbance and relapse. METHODS We used tractography to characterize diffusion-weighted MRI data in 80 participants enrolled in a randomized clinical trial that compared efficacy and tolerability of sertraline plus olanzapine with sertraline plus placebo in the continuation treatment of remitted psychotic depression. Cox proportional hazard models tested the relationships between psychomotor disturbance (processing speed and CORE score) at baseline, white matter microstructure (fractional anisotropy [FA] and mean diffusivity [MD]) in 15 selected tracts at baseline, and relapse probability. RESULTS CORE was significantly associated with relapse. Higher mean MD was significantly associated with relapse in the each of the following tracts: corpus callosum, left striato-frontal, left thalamo-frontal, and right thalamo-frontal. CORE and MD were each associated with relapse in the final models. LIMITATIONS As a secondary analysis with a small sample size, this study was not powered for its aims, and is vulnerable to types I and II statistical errors. Further, the sample size was not sufficient to test the interaction of the independent variables and randomized treatment group with relapse probability. CONCLUSIONS While both psychomotor disturbance and MD were associated with psychotic depression relapse, MD did not account for the relationship between psychomotor disturbance and relapse. The mechanism by which of psychomotor disturbance increases the risk of relapse requires further investigation. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION Study of the Pharmacotherapy of Psychotic Depression II (STOP-PD II); NCT01427608. URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01427608.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen S Bingham
- Centre for Mental Health, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada.
| | - Navona Calarco
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Erin W Dickie
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - George S Alexopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine of Cornell University and New York Presbyterian Hospital, Westchester Division, New York, USA
| | - Meryl A Butters
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Barnett S Meyers
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine of Cornell University and New York Presbyterian Hospital, Westchester Division, New York, USA
| | - Patricia Marino
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine of Cornell University and New York Presbyterian Hospital, Westchester Division, New York, USA
| | - Nicholas H Neufeld
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Anthony J Rothschild
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and UMass Memorial Health Care, Worcester, USA
| | - Ellen M Whyte
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Benoit H Mulsant
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Alastair J Flint
- Centre for Mental Health, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Aristotle N Voineskos
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada
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17
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Hehl M, Swinnen SP, Van Malderen S, Cuypers K. No evidence for a difference in lateralization and distinctiveness level of transcranial magnetic stimulation-derived cortical motor representations over the adult lifespan. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:971858. [PMID: 36313026 PMCID: PMC9608504 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.971858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the presence and patterns of age-related differences in TMS-based measures of lateralization and distinctiveness of the cortical motor representations of two different hand muscles. In a sample of seventy-three right-handed healthy participants over the adult lifespan, the first dorsal interosseus (FDI) and abductor digiti minimi (ADM) cortical motor representations of both hemispheres were acquired using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). In addition, dexterity and maximum force levels were measured. Lateralization quotients were calculated for homolog behavioral and TMS measures, whereas the distinctiveness between the FDI and ADM representation within one hemisphere was quantified by the center of gravity (CoG) distance and cosine similarity. The presence and patterns of age-related changes were examined using linear, polynomial, and piecewise linear regression. No age-related differences could be identified for the lateralization quotient of behavior or cortical motor representations of both intrinsic hand muscles. Furthermore, no evidence for a change in the distinctiveness of the FDI and ADM representation with advancing age was found. In conclusion this work showed that lateralization and distinctiveness of cortical motor representations, as determined by means of TMS-based measures, remain stable over the adult lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Hehl
- Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
- Neuroplasticity and Movement Control Research Group, Rehabilitation Research Institute (REVAL), Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Stephan P. Swinnen
- Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Shanti Van Malderen
- Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
- Neuroplasticity and Movement Control Research Group, Rehabilitation Research Institute (REVAL), Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Koen Cuypers
- Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
- Neuroplasticity and Movement Control Research Group, Rehabilitation Research Institute (REVAL), Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Koen Cuypers,
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18
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Fortel I, Butler M, Korthauer LE, Zhan L, Ajilore O, Sidiropoulos A, Wu Y, Driscoll I, Schonfeld D, Leow A. Inferring excitation-inhibition dynamics using a maximum entropy model unifying brain structure and function. Netw Neurosci 2022; 6:420-444. [PMID: 35733430 PMCID: PMC9205431 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural activity coordinated across different scales from neuronal circuits to large-scale brain networks gives rise to complex cognitive functions. Bridging the gap between micro- and macroscale processes, we present a novel framework based on the maximum entropy model to infer a hybrid resting-state structural connectome, representing functional interactions constrained by structural connectivity. We demonstrate that the structurally informed network outperforms the unconstrained model in simulating brain dynamics, wherein by constraining the inference model with the network structure we may improve the estimation of pairwise BOLD signal interactions. Further, we simulate brain network dynamics using Monte Carlo simulations with the new hybrid connectome to probe connectome-level differences in excitation-inhibition balance between apolipoprotein E (APOE)-ε4 carriers and noncarriers. Our results reveal sex differences among APOE-ε4 carriers in functional dynamics at criticality; specifically, female carriers appear to exhibit a lower tolerance to network disruptions resulting from increased excitatory interactions. In sum, the new multimodal network explored here enables analysis of brain dynamics through the integration of structure and function, providing insight into the complex interactions underlying neural activity such as the balance of excitation and inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Fortel
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mitchell Butler
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Laura E. Korthauer
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Liang Zhan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Olusola Ajilore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Yichao Wu
- Department of Math, Statistics, and Computer Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ira Driscoll
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Dan Schonfeld
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Alex Leow
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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19
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Kannan L, Bhatt T, Zhang A, Ajilore O. Association of balance control mechanisms with brain structural integrity in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Neurosci Lett 2022; 783:136699. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2022.136699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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20
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Hsieh S, Yang MH. Potential Diffusion Tensor Imaging Biomarkers for Elucidating Intra-Individual Age-Related Changes in Cognitive Control and Processing Speed. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:850655. [PMID: 35557836 PMCID: PMC9087335 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.850655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive aging, especially cognitive control, and processing speed aging have been well-documented in the literature. Most of the evidence was reported based on cross-sectional data, in which inter-individual age effects were shown. However, there have been some studies pointing out the possibility of overlooking intra-individual changes in cognitive aging. To systematically examine whether age-related differences and age-related changes might yield distinctive patterns, this study directly compared cognitive control function and processing speed between different cohorts versus follow-up changes across the adult lifespan. Moreover, considering that cognitive aging has been attributed to brain disconnection in white matter (WM) integrity, this study focused on WM integrity via acquiring diffusion-weighted imaging data with an MRI instrument that are further fitted to a diffusion tensor model (i.e., DTI) to detect water diffusion directionality (i.e., fractional anisotropy, FA; mean diffusivity, MD; radial diffusivity, RD; axial diffusivity, AxD). Following data preprocessing, 114 participants remained for further analyses in which they completed the two follow-up sessions (with a range of 1-2 years) containing a series of neuropsychology instruments and computerized cognitive control tasks. The results show that many significant correlations between age and cognitive control functions originally shown on cross-sectional data no longer exist on the longitudinal data. The current longitudinal data show that MD, RD, and AxD (especially in the association fibers of anterior thalamic radiation) are more strongly correlated to follow-up aging processes, suggesting that axonal/myelin damage is a more robust phenomenon for observing intra-individual aging processes. Moreover, processing speed appears to be the most prominent cognitive function to reflect DTI-related age (cross-sectional) and aging (longitudinal) effects. Finally, converging the results from regression analyses and mediation models, MD, RD, and AxD appear to be the representative DTI measures to reveal age-related changes in processing speed. To conclude, the current results provide new insights to which indicator of WM integrity and which type of cognitive changes are most representative (i.e., potentially to be neuroimaging biomarkers) to reflect intra-individual cognitive aging processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shulan Hsieh
- Cognitive Electrophysiology Laboratory: Control, Aging, Sleep, and Emotion, Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Institute of Allied Health Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Department of Public Health, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Heng Yang
- Cognitive Electrophysiology Laboratory: Control, Aging, Sleep, and Emotion, Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
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21
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Brown RM, Gruijters SLK, Kotz SA. Prediction in the aging brain: Merging cognitive, neurological, and evolutionary perspectives. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2022; 77:1580-1591. [PMID: 35429160 PMCID: PMC9434449 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbac062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the aging brain is typically characterized by declines in a variety of cognitive functions, there has been growing attention to cognitive functions that may stabilize or improve with age. We integrate evidence from behavioral, computational, and neurological domains under the hypothesis that over the life span the brain becomes more effective at predicting (i.e., utilizing knowledge) compared to learning. Moving beyond mere description of the empirical literature—with the aim of arriving at a deeper understanding of cognitive aging—we provide potential explanations for a learning-to-prediction shift based on evolutionary models and principles of senescence and plasticity. The proposed explanations explore whether the occurrence of a learning-to-prediction shift can be explained by (changes in) the fitness effects of learning and prediction over the life span. Prediction may optimize (a) the allocation of limited resources across the life span, and/or (b) late-life knowledge transfer (social learning). Alternatively, late-life prediction may reflect a slower decline in prediction compared to learning. By discussing these hypotheses, we aim to provide a foundation for an integrative neurocognitive–evolutionary perspective on aging and to stimulate further theoretical and empirical work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Brown
- Institute of Psychology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan L K Gruijters
- Faculty of Psychology, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, the Netherlands
| | - Sonja A Kotz
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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22
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Yang Q, Reutens DC, Vegh V. Generalisation of continuous time random walk to anomalous diffusion MRI models with an age-related evaluation of human corpus callosum. Neuroimage 2022; 250:118903. [PMID: 35033674 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.118903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffusion MRI measures of the human brain provide key insight into microstructural variations across individuals and into the impact of central nervous system diseases and disorders. One approach to extract information from diffusion signals has been to use biologically relevant analytical models to link millimetre scale diffusion MRI measures with microscale influences. The other approach has been to represent diffusion as an anomalous transport process and infer microstructural information from the different anomalous diffusion equation parameters. In this study, we investigated how parameters of various anomalous diffusion models vary with age in the human brain white matter, particularly focusing on the corpus callosum. We first unified several established anomalous diffusion models (the super-diffusion, sub-diffusion, quasi-diffusion and fractional Bloch-Torrey models) under the continuous time random walk modelling framework. This unification allows a consistent parameter fitting strategy to be applied from which meaningful model parameter comparisons can be made. We then provided a novel way to derive the diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) model, which is shown to be a degree two approximation of the sub-diffusion model. This link between the DKI and sub-diffusion models led to a new robust technique for generating maps of kurtosis and diffusivity using the sub-diffusion parameters βSUB and DSUB. Superior tissue contrast is achieved in kurtosis maps based on the sub-diffusion model. 7T diffusion weighted MRI data for 65 healthy participants in the age range 19-78 years was used in this study. Results revealed that anomalous diffusion model parameters α and β have shown consistent positive correlation with age in the corpus callosum, indicating α and β are sensitive to tissue microstructural changes in ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianqian Yang
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4000, Australia.
| | - David C Reutens
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia; ARC Training Centre for Innovation in Biomedical Imaging Technology, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Viktor Vegh
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia; ARC Training Centre for Innovation in Biomedical Imaging Technology, Brisbane 4072, Australia
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23
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Brosnan MB, Shalev N, Ramduny J, Sotiropoulos SN, Chechlacz M. Right fronto-parietal networks mediate the neurocognitive benefits of enriched environments. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac080. [PMID: 35474852 PMCID: PMC9035529 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to enriched environments throughout a lifetime, providing so-called reserve, protects against cognitive decline in later years. It has been hypothesized that high levels of alertness necessitated by enriched environments might strengthen the right fronto-parietal networks to facilitate this neurocognitive resilience. We have previously shown that enriched environments offset age-related deficits in selective attention by preserving grey matter within right fronto-parietal regions. Here, using neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging, we examined the relationship between enriched environments, microstructural properties of fronto-parietal white matter association pathways (three branches of the superior longitudinal fasciculus), structural brain health (atrophy), and attention (alertness, orienting and executive control) in a group of older adults. We show that exposure to enriched environments is associated with a lower orientation dispersion index within the right superior longitudinal fasciculus 1 which in turn mediates the relationship between enriched environments and alertness, as well as grey and white matter atrophy. This suggests that enriched environments may induce white matter plasticity (and prevent age-related dispersion of axons) within the right fronto-parietal networks to facilitate the preservation of neurocognitive health in later years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Méadhbh B. Brosnan
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nir Shalev
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jivesh Ramduny
- School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Stamatios N. Sotiropoulos
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - Magdalena Chechlacz
- Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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24
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Liu K, Wang X, Zhang T, Wang W, Li R, Lu L, Deng Y, Xu K, Kwok T. Cortical Short-Range Fiber Connectivity and Its Association With Deep Brain White Matter Hyperintensities in Older Diabetic People With Low Serum Vitamin B12. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:754997. [PMID: 35401148 PMCID: PMC8990772 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.754997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Although previous studies have indicated that older people with diabetes mellitus (DM) had an approximately two times larger white matter hyperintensity (WMH) load than those without DM, the influence of WMHs on cognition is uncertain and inconsistent in the literature. It is unclear whether the short-range fibers in the juxtacortical region, traditionally considered to be spared from WMH pathology, are enhanced as an adaptive response to deep WM degeneration in older diabetic people with normal cognition. Moreover, the specific effect of vitamin B12 deficiency, commonly accompanied by DM, remains to be investigated. This study implemented a specialized analysis of the superficial cortical short-range fiber connectivity density (SFiCD) based on a data-driven framework in 70 older individuals with DM and low serum vitamin B12. Moreover, the effects of time and vitamin B12 supplementation were assessed based on a randomized placebo-controlled trial in 59 individuals. The results demonstrated a higher SFiCD in diabetic individuals with a higher deep WMH load. Additionally, a significant interaction between DWMH load and homocysteine on SFiCD was found. During the 27-month follow-up period, a longitudinal increase in the SFiCD was observed in the bilateral frontal cortices. However, the observed longitudinal SFiCD change was not dependent on vitamin B12 supplementation; thus, the specific reason for the longitudinal cortical short fiber densification may need further study. Overall, these findings may help us better understand the neurobiology of brain plasticity in older patients with DM, as well as the interplay among DM, WMH, and vitamin B12 deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Liu
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Xiaopeng Wang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Teng Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET-CT Center, The Second Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Ruohan Li
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Li Lu
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yanjia Deng
- School of Medical Imaging, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Yanjia Deng,
| | - Kai Xu
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- Kai Xu,
| | - Timothy Kwok
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
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25
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Shafer AT, Williams OA, Perez E, An Y, Landman BA, Ferrucci L, Resnick SM. Accelerated decline in white matter microstructure in subsequently impaired older adults and its relationship with cognitive decline. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac051. [PMID: 35356033 PMCID: PMC8963308 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about a longitudinal decline in white matter microstructure and its associations with cognition in preclinical dementia. Longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging and neuropsychological testing were performed in 50 older adults who subsequently developed mild cognitive impairment or dementia (subsequently impaired) and 200 cognitively normal controls. Rates of white matter microstructural decline were compared between groups using voxel-wise linear mixed-effects models. Associations between change in white matter microstructure and cognition were examined. Subsequently impaired individuals had a faster decline in fractional anisotropy in the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and bilateral splenium of the corpus callosum. A decline in right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus fractional anisotropy was related to a decline in verbal memory, visuospatial ability, processing speed and mini-mental state examination. A decline in bilateral splenium fractional anisotropy was related to a decline in verbal fluency, processing speed and mini-mental state examination. Accelerated regional white matter microstructural decline is evident during the preclinical phase of mild cognitive impairment/dementia and is related to domain-specific cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea T. Shafer
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA,Correspondence to: Andrea T. Shafer 251 Bayview Blvd., Baltimore MD 21224, USA E-mail:
| | - Owen A. Williams
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA,Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Evian Perez
- San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, Puerto Rico
| | - Yang An
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | | | - Luigi Ferrucci
- Longitudinal Studies Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Susan M. Resnick
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA,Correspondence may also be addressed to: Susan M. Resnick E-mail:
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26
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Ramduny J, Bastiani M, Huedepohl R, Sotiropoulos SN, Chechlacz M. The Association Between Inadequate Sleep and Accelerated Brain Ageing. Neurobiol Aging 2022; 114:1-14. [PMID: 35344818 PMCID: PMC9084918 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jivesh Ramduny
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Matteo Bastiani
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - Robin Huedepohl
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Stamatios N Sotiropoulos
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK.
| | - Magdalena Chechlacz
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
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27
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Lorenzini L, Ingala S, Wink AM, Kuijer JPA, Wottschel V, Dijsselhof M, Sudre CH, Haller S, Molinuevo JL, Gispert JD, Cash DM, Thomas DL, Vos SB, Prados F, Petr J, Wolz R, Palombit A, Schwarz AJ, Chételat G, Payoux P, Di Perri C, Wardlaw JM, Frisoni GB, Foley C, Fox NC, Ritchie C, Pernet C, Waldman A, Barkhof F, Mutsaerts HJMM. The Open-Access European Prevention of Alzheimer's Dementia (EPAD) MRI dataset and processing workflow. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 35:103106. [PMID: 35839659 PMCID: PMC9421463 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The European Prevention of Alzheimer Dementia (EPAD) is a multi-center study that aims to characterize the preclinical and prodromal stages of Alzheimer's Disease. The EPAD imaging dataset includes core (3D T1w, 3D FLAIR) and advanced (ASL, diffusion MRI, and resting-state fMRI) MRI sequences. Here, we give an overview of the semi-automatic multimodal and multisite pipeline that we developed to curate, preprocess, quality control (QC), and compute image-derived phenotypes (IDPs) from the EPAD MRI dataset. This pipeline harmonizes DICOM data structure across sites and performs standardized MRI preprocessing steps. A semi-automated MRI QC procedure was implemented to visualize and flag MRI images next to site-specific distributions of QC features - i.e. metrics that represent image quality. The value of each of these QC features was evaluated through comparison with visual assessment and step-wise parameter selection based on logistic regression. IDPs were computed from 5 different MRI modalities and their sanity and potential clinical relevance were ascertained by assessing their relationship with biological markers of aging and dementia. The EPAD v1500.0 data release encompassed core structural scans from 1356 participants 842 fMRI, 831 dMRI, and 858 ASL scans. From 1356 3D T1w images, we identified 17 images with poor quality and 61 with moderate quality. Five QC features - Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), Contrast to Noise Ratio (CNR), Coefficient of Joint Variation (CJV), Foreground-Background energy Ratio (FBER), and Image Quality Rate (IQR) - were selected as the most informative on image quality by comparison with visual assessment. The multimodal IDPs showed greater impairment in associations with age and dementia biomarkers, demonstrating the potential of the dataset for future clinical analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Lorenzini
- Dept. of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Silvia Ingala
- Dept. of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alle Meije Wink
- Dept. of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joost P A Kuijer
- Dept. of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Viktor Wottschel
- Dept. of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mathijs Dijsselhof
- Dept. of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Carole H Sudre
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, London, UK; Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK; Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London, UK; School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, UK
| | - Sven Haller
- CIMC - Centre d'Imagerie Médicale de Cornavin, Place de Cornavin 18, 1201 Genève, Switzerland; Department of Surgical Sciences, Radiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - José Luis Molinuevo
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain; H. Lundbeck A/S, 2500 Valby, Denmark
| | - Juan Domingo Gispert
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Madrid, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - David M Cash
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute, University College of London, London, UK
| | - David L Thomas
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK; Neuroradiological Academic Unit, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology London, UK; Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Sjoerd B Vos
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London, UK; Neuroradiological Academic Unit, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology London, UK
| | - Ferran Prados
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Research Unit, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom; Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London, United Kingdom; e-Health Centre, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jan Petr
- Dept. of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Dresden, Germany
| | - Robin Wolz
- IXICO, London, UK; Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | | | - Gaël Chételat
- Université de Normandie, Unicaen, Inserm, U1237, PhIND "Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders", Institut Blood-and-Brain @ Caen-Normandie, Cyceron, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Pierre Payoux
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Toulouse CHU, Purpan University Hospital, Toulouse, France; Toulouse NeuroImaging Center, University of Toulouse, INSERM, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Carol Di Perri
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Joanna M Wardlaw
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Giovanni B Frisoni
- Laboratory Alzheimer's Neuroimaging & Epidemiology, IRCCS Instituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy; University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Nick C Fox
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Craig Ritchie
- Centre for Dementia Prevention, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Cyril Pernet
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark
| | - Adam Waldman
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Frederik Barkhof
- Dept. of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Institute of Neurology and Healthcare Engineering, University College London, London, UK; Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henk J M M Mutsaerts
- Dept. of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Ghent Institute for Functional and Metabolic Imaging (GIfMI), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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28
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Zhang X, Huang N, Xiao L, Wang F, Li T. Replenishing the Aged Brains: Targeting Oligodendrocytes and Myelination? Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:760200. [PMID: 34899272 PMCID: PMC8656359 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.760200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging affects almost all the aspects of brain functions, but the mechanisms remain largely undefined. Increasing number of literatures have manifested the important role of glial cells in regulating the aging process. Oligodendroglial lineage cell is a major type of glia in central nervous system (CNS), composed of mature oligodendrocytes (OLs), and oligodendroglia precursor cells (OPCs). OLs produce myelin sheaths that insulate axons and provide metabolic support to meet the energy demand. OPCs maintain the population throughout lifetime with the abilities to proliferate and differentiate into OLs. Increasing evidence has shown that oligodendroglial cells display active dynamics in adult and aging CNS, which is extensively involved in age-related brain function decline in the elderly. In this review, we summarized present knowledge about dynamic changes of oligodendroglial lineage cells during normal aging and discussed their potential roles in age-related functional decline. Especially, focused on declined myelinogenesis during aging and underlying mechanisms. Clarifying those oligodendroglial changes and their effects on neurofunctional decline may provide new insights in understanding aging associated brain function declines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
- Department of Ophthalmology, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command, Chengdu, China
| | - Nanxin Huang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Lan Xiao
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Tao Li
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
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29
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Yeske B, Hou J, Adluru N, Nair VA, Prabhakaran V. Differences in Diffusion Tensor Imaging White Matter Integrity Related to Verbal Fluency Between Young and Old Adults. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:750621. [PMID: 34880746 PMCID: PMC8647802 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.750621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Throughout adulthood, the brain undergoes an array of structural and functional changes during the typical aging process. These changes involve decreased brain volume, reduced synaptic density, and alterations in white matter (WM). Although there have been some previous neuroimaging studies that have measured the ability of adult language production and its correlations to brain function, structural gray matter volume, and functional differences between young and old adults, the structural role of WM in adult language production in individuals across the life span remains to be thoroughly elucidated. This study selected 38 young adults and 35 old adults for diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and performed the Controlled Oral Word Association Test to assess verbal fluency (VF). Tract-Based Spatial Statistics were employed to evaluate the voxel-based group differences of diffusion metrics for the values of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), radial diffusivity (RD), and local diffusion homogeneity (LDH) in 12 WM regions of interest associated with language production. To investigate group differences on each DTI metric, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) controlling for sex and education level was performed, and the statistical threshold was considered at p < 0.00083 (0.05/60 labels) after Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Significant differences in DTI metrics identified in the ANCOVA were used to perform correlation analyses with VF scores. Compared to the old adults, the young adults had significantly (1) increased FA values on the bilateral anterior corona radiata (ACR); (2) decreased MD values on the right ACR, but increased MD on the left uncinate fasciculus (UF); and (3) decreased RD on the bilateral ACR. There were no significant differences between the groups for AD or LDH. Moreover, the old adults had only a significant correlation between the VF score and the MD on the left UF. There were no significant correlations between VF score and DTI metrics in the young adults. This study adds to the growing body of research that WM areas involved in language production are sensitive to aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Yeske
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Jiancheng Hou
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Center for Cross-Strait Cultural Development, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Nagesh Adluru
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Veena A. Nair
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Vivek Prabhakaran
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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30
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Garrett DD, Skowron A, Wiegert S, Adolf J, Dahle CL, Lindenberger U, Raz N. Lost Dynamics and the Dynamics of Loss: Longitudinal Compression of Brain Signal Variability is Coupled with Declines in Functional Integration and Cognitive Performance. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:5239-5252. [PMID: 34297815 PMCID: PMC8491679 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Reduced moment-to-moment blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal variability has been consistently linked to advanced age and poorer cognitive performance, showing potential as a functional marker of brain aging. To date, however, this promise has rested exclusively on cross-sectional comparisons. In a sample of 74 healthy adults, we provide the first longitudinal evidence linking individual differences in BOLD variability, age, and performance across multiple cognitive domains over an average period of 2.5 years. As expected, those expressing greater loss of BOLD variability also exhibited greater decline in cognition. The fronto-striato-thalamic system emerged as a core neural substrate for these change-change associations. Preservation of signal variability within regions of the fronto-striato-thalamic system also cohered with preservation of functional integration across regions of this system, suggesting that longitudinal maintenance of "local" dynamics may require across-region communication. We therefore propose this neural system as a primary target in future longitudinal studies on the neural substrates of cognitive aging. Given that longitudinal change-change associations between brain and cognition are notoriously difficult to detect, the presence of such an association within a relatively short follow-up period bolsters the promise of brain signal variability as a viable, experimentally sensitive probe for studying individual differences in human cognitive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas D Garrett
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin 14195, Germany
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Alexander Skowron
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin 14195, Germany
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Steffen Wiegert
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin 14195, Germany
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Janne Adolf
- Research Group of Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Cheryl L Dahle
- Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, 87 East Ferry Street, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin 14195, Germany
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Naftali Raz
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin 14195, Germany
- Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, 87 East Ferry Street, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, 87 East Ferry Street, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
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31
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Molloy CJ, Nugent S, Bokde ALW. Alterations in Diffusion Measures of White Matter Integrity Associated with Healthy Aging. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2021; 76:945-954. [PMID: 31830253 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glz289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to characterize age-related white matter changes by evaluating patterns of overlap between the linear association of age with fractional anisotropy (FA) with mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD). Specifically, we assessed patterns of overlap between diffusion measures of normal appearing white matter by covarying for white matter hyperintensity (WMH) load, as WMHs are thought to increase with age and impact diffusion measures. Seventy-nine healthy adults aged between 18 and 75 years took part in the study. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were based on 61 directions acquired with a b-value of 2,000. We found five main patterns of overlap: FA alone (15.95%); FA and RD (31.90%); FA and AD (12.99%); FA, RD, and AD (27.93%); and FA, RD, and MD (8.79%). We showed that cognitively healthy aging adults had low WMH load, which subsequently had minimal effect on diffusion measures. We discuss how patterns of overlap may reflect underlying biological changes observed with aging such as loss of myelination, axonal damage, as well as mild microstructural and chronic white matter impairments. This study contributes to understanding the underlying causes of degeneration in specific regions of the brain and highlights the importance of considering the impact of WMHs in aging studies of white matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciara J Molloy
- Cognitive Systems Group, Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Ireland
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sinead Nugent
- Cognitive Systems Group, Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Ireland
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Arun L W Bokde
- Cognitive Systems Group, Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Ireland
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
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32
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Pedersen R, Geerligs L, Andersson M, Gorbach T, Avelar-Pereira B, Wåhlin A, Rieckmann A, Nyberg L, Salami A. When functional blurring becomes deleterious: Reduced system segregation is associated with less white matter integrity and cognitive decline in aging. Neuroimage 2021; 242:118449. [PMID: 34358662 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Healthy aging is accompanied by progressive decline in cognitive performance and concomitant changes in brain structure and functional architecture. Age-accompanied alterations in brain function have been characterized on a network level as weaker functional connections within brain networks along with stronger interactions between networks. This phenomenon has been described as age-related differences in functional network segregation. It has been suggested that functional networks related to associative processes are particularly sensitive to age-related deterioration in segregation, possibly related to cognitive decline in aging. However, there have been only a few longitudinal studies with inconclusive results. Here, we used a large longitudinal sample of 284 participants between 25 to 80 years of age at baseline, with cognitive and neuroimaging data collected at up to three time points over a 10-year period. We investigated age-related changes in functional segregation among two large-scale systems comprising associative and sensorimotor-related resting-state networks. We found that functional segregation of associative systems declines in aging with exacerbated deterioration from the late fifties. Changes in associative segregation were positively associated with changes in global cognitive ability, suggesting that decreased segregation has negative consequences for domain-general cognitive functions. Age-related changes in system segregation were partly accounted for by changes in white matter integrity, but white matter integrity only weakly influenced the association between segregation and cognition. Together, these novel findings suggest a cascade where reduced white-matter integrity leads to less distinctive functional systems which in turn contributes to cognitive decline in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Pedersen
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine (WCMM), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Linda Geerligs
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radbound University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Micael Andersson
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Tetiana Gorbach
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine (WCMM), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Statistics, Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Bárbara Avelar-Pereira
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA; Aging Research Center (ARC), Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anders Wåhlin
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anna Rieckmann
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lars Nyberg
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine (WCMM), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Alireza Salami
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine (WCMM), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Aging Research Center (ARC), Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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33
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Merenstein JL, Corrada MM, Kawas CH, Bennett IJ. Age affects white matter microstructure and episodic memory across the older adult lifespan. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 106:282-291. [PMID: 34332220 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Diffusion imaging studies have observed age-related degradation of white matter that contributes to cognitive deficits separately in younger-old (ages 65-89) and oldest-old (ages 90+) adults. But it remains unclear whether these age effects are magnified in advanced age groups, which may reflect disease-related pathology. Here, we tested whether age-related differences in white matter microstructure followed linear or nonlinear patterns across the entire older adult lifespan (65-98 years), these patterns were influenced by oldest-old adults at increased risk of dementia (cognitive impairment no dementia, CIND), and they explained age effects on episodic memory. Results revealed nonlinear microstructure declines across fiber classes (medial temporal, callosal, association, projection and/or thalamic) that were largest for medial temporal fibers. These patterns remained after excluding oldest-old participants with CIND, indicating that aging of white matter microstructure cannot solely be explained by pathology associated with early cognitive impairment. Moreover, finding that the effect of age on episodic memory was mediated by medial temporal fiber microstructure suggests it is essential for facilitating memory-related neural signals across the older adult lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - María M Corrada
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Claudia H Kawas
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Ilana J Bennett
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
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34
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McMahon M, Malneedi Y, Worthy DA, Schnyer DM. Rest-activity rhythms and white matter microstructure across the lifespan. Sleep 2021; 44:6017487. [PMID: 33269397 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsaa266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to examine how rest-activity (RA) rhythm stability may be associated with white matter microstructure across the lifespan in healthy adults free of significant cardiovascular risk. METHODS We analyzed multi-shell diffusion tensor images from 103 healthy young and older adults using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) to examine relationships between white matter microstructure and RA rhythm stability. RA measures were computed using both cosinor and non-parametric methods derived from 7 days of actigraphy data. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were examined in this analysis. Because prior studies have suggested that the corpus callosum (CC) is sensitive to sleep physiology and RA rhythms, we also conducted a focused region of interest analysis on the CC. RESULTS Greater rest-activity rhythm stability was associated with greater FA across both young and older adults, primarily in the CC and anterior corona radiata. This effect was not moderated by age group. While RA measures were associated with sleep metrics, RA rhythm measures uniquely accounted for the variance in white matter integrity. CONCLUSIONS This study strengthens existing evidence for a relationship between brain white matter structure and RA rhythm stability in the absence of health risk factors. While there are differences in RA stability between age groups, the relationship with brain white matter was present across both young and older adults. RA rhythms may be a useful biomarker of brain health across both periods of adult development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan McMahon
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
| | - Yoshita Malneedi
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
| | - Darrell A Worthy
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | - David M Schnyer
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
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35
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Oschwald J, Mérillat S, Jäncke L, Seidler RD. Fractional Anisotropy in Selected, Motor-Related White Matter Tracts and Its Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Associations With Motor Function in Healthy Older Adults. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:621263. [PMID: 34239423 PMCID: PMC8258250 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.621263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background While it is well-known that deficits in motor performance and brain structural connectivity occur in the course of healthy aging, it is still unclear if and how these changes are related to each other. While some cross-sectional studies suggest that white matter (WM) microstructure is positively associated with motor function in healthy older adults, more evidence is needed. Moreover, longitudinal data is required to estimate whether similar associations can be found between trajectories of change in WM microstructure and motor function. The current study addresses this gap by investigating age-associations and longitudinal changes in WM microstructure and motor function, and the cross-sectional (level-level) and longitudinal (level-change, change-change) association between these two domains. Method We used multiple-occasion data (covering 4 years) from a large sample (N = 231) of healthy older adults from the Longitudinal Healthy Aging Brain (LHAB) database. To measure WM microstructure, we used diffusion-weighted imaging data to compute mean FA in three selected WM tracts [forceps minor (FMIN); superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF); corticospinal tract (CST)]. Motor function was measured via two motor speed tests (grooved pegboard, finger tapping) and one motor strength test (grip force test), separately for the left and the right hand. The statistical analysis was conducted with longitudinal growth curve models in the structural equation modeling framework. Results The results revealed longitudinal decline and negative cross-sectional age-associations for mean WM FA in the FMIN and SLF, and for motor function in all tests, with a higher vulnerability for left than right hand motor performance. Regarding cross-domain associations, we found a significant positive level-level correlation among mean WM FA in the FMIN with motor speed. Mean FA in SLF and CST was not correlated with motor performance measures, and none of the level-change or change-change associations were significant. Overall, our results (a) provide important insights into aging-related changes of fine motor abilities and FA in selected white matter tracts associated with motor control, (b) support previous cross-sectional work showing that neural control of movement in older adults also involves brain structures outside the core motor system and (c) align with the idea that, in healthy aging, compensatory mechanisms may be in place and longer time delays may be needed to reveal level-change or change-change associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Oschwald
- University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging", University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Susan Mérillat
- University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging", University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lutz Jäncke
- University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging", University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Neuropsychology, Psychological Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rachael D Seidler
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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36
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Longitudinal diffusion MRI analysis using Segis-Net: A single-step deep-learning framework for simultaneous segmentation and registration. Neuroimage 2021; 235:118004. [PMID: 33794359 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
This work presents a single-step deep-learning framework for longitudinal image analysis, coined Segis-Net. To optimally exploit information available in longitudinal data, this method concurrently learns a multi-class segmentation and nonlinear registration. Segmentation and registration are modeled using a convolutional neural network and optimized simultaneously for their mutual benefit. An objective function that optimizes spatial correspondence for the segmented structures across time-points is proposed. We applied Segis-Net to the analysis of white matter tracts from N=8045 longitudinal brain MRI datasets of 3249 elderly individuals. Segis-Net approach showed a significant increase in registration accuracy, spatio-temporal segmentation consistency, and reproducibility compared with two multistage pipelines. This also led to a significant reduction in the sample-size that would be required to achieve the same statistical power in analyzing tract-specific measures. Thus, we expect that Segis-Net can serve as a new reliable tool to support longitudinal imaging studies to investigate macro- and microstructural brain changes over time.
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37
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Astrogliosis and episodic memory in late life: higher GFAP is related to worse memory and white matter microstructure in healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 103:68-77. [PMID: 33845398 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes play a formative role in memory consolidation during physiological conditions; when dysregulated, astrocytes release glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), which has been linked with negative memory outcomes in animal studies. We examined the association between blood GFAP, memory, and white matter (WM) integrity, accounting for blood markers of AD pathology (i.e., Aβ42) and neurodegeneration (i.e., total tau; neurofilament light chain) in 114 older adults (asymptomatic, n = 69; MCI/AD dementia, n = 45). Higher levels of GFAP were associated with lower memory scores (p < 0.0001), such that for 1 SD increase in mean GFAP values, the memory composite score decreased on average by 0.49 (Standard error = 0.071). These results remained significant after controlling for diagnostic status and AD-related blood biomarkers. Higher GFAP was also related to lower WM integrity in regions vulnerable to AD pathology; however, WM integrity did not account for the association between GFAP and memory. Study findings suggest that higher blood levels of a marker of astrogliosis may reflect impoverished memory functions and white matter health, independent of markers of amyloid or neurodegeneration.
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38
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Chronic noncancer pain is not associated with accelerated brain aging as assessed by structural magnetic resonance imaging in patients treated in specialized outpatient clinics. Pain 2021; 161:641-650. [PMID: 31764393 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Chronic pain is often associated with changes in brain structure and function, and also cognitive deficits. It has been noted that these chronic pain-related alterations may resemble changes found in healthy aging, and thus may represent accelerated or premature aging of the brain. Here, we test the hypothesis that patients with chronic noncancer pain demonstrate accelerated brain aging compared with healthy control subjects. The predicted brain age of 59 patients with chronic pain (mean chronological age ± SD: 53.0 ± 9.0 years; 43 women) and 60 pain-free healthy controls (52.6 ± 9.0 years; 44 women) was determined using the software brainageR. This software segments the individual T1-weighted structural MR images into gray and white matter and compares gray and white matter images with a large (n = 2001) training set of structural images, using machine learning. Finally, brain age delta, which is the predicted brain age minus chronological age, was calculated and compared across groups. This study provided no evidence for the hypothesis that chronic pain is associated with accelerated brain aging (Welch t test, P = 0.74, Cohen's d = 0.061). A Bayesian independent-samples t test indicated moderate evidence in favor of the null hypothesis (BF01 = 4.875, ie, group means were equal). Our results provide indirect support for recent models of pain-related changes of brain structure, brain function, and cognitive functions. These models postulate network-specific maladaptive plasticity, rather than widespread or global neural degeneration.
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Poulakis K, Reid RI, Przybelski SA, Knopman DS, Graff-Radford J, Lowe VJ, Mielke MM, Machulda MM, Jack CR, Petersen RC, Westman E, Vemuri P. Longitudinal deterioration of white-matter integrity: heterogeneity in the ageing population. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcaa238. [PMID: 33615218 PMCID: PMC7884606 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaa238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Deterioration in white-matter health plays a role in cognitive ageing. Our goal was to discern heterogeneity of white-matter tract vulnerability in ageing using longitudinal imaging data (two to five imaging and cognitive assessments per participant) from a population-based sample of 553 elderly participants (age ≥60 years). We found that different clusters (healthy white matter, fast white-matter decliners and intermediate white-matter group) were heterogeneous in the spatial distribution of white-matter integrity, systemic health and cognitive trajectories. White-matter health of specific tracts (genu of corpus callosum, posterior corona radiata and anterior internal capsule) informed about cluster assignments. Not surprisingly, brain amyloidosis was not significantly different between clusters. Clusters had differential white-matter tract vulnerability to ageing (commissural fibres > association/brainstem fibres). Identification of vulnerable white-matter tracts is a valuable approach to assessing risk for cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Poulakis
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 141 52, Sweden
| | - Robert I Reid
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 559 05, USA
| | | | - David S Knopman
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 559 05, USA
| | | | - Val J Lowe
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 559 05, USA
| | | | - Mary M Machulda
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 559 05, USA
| | - Clifford R Jack
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 559 05, USA
| | | | - Eric Westman
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 141 52, Sweden
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Morand A, Segobin S, Lecouvey G, Gonneaud J, Eustache F, Rauchs G, Desgranges B. Brain Substrates of Time-Based Prospective Memory Decline in Aging: A Voxel-Based Morphometry and Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:396-409. [PMID: 32935836 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Time-based prospective memory (TBPM) allows us to remember to perform intended actions at a specific time in the future. TBPM is sensitive to the effects of age, but the neural substrates of this decline are still poorly understood. The aim of the present study was thus to better characterize the brain substrates of the age-related decline in TBPM, focusing on macrostructural gray matter and microstructural white matter integrity. We administered a TBPM task to 22 healthy young (26 ± 5.2 years) and 23 older (63 ± 5.9 years) participants, who also underwent volumetric magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging scans. Neuroimaging analyses revealed lower gray matter volumes in several brain areas in older participants, but these did not correlate with TBPM performance. By contrast, an age-related decline in fractional anisotropy in several white-matter tracts connecting frontal and occipital regions did correlate with TBPM performance, whereas there was no significant correlation in healthy young subjects. According to the literature, these tracts are connected to the anterior prefrontal cortex and the thalamus, 2 structures involved in TBPM. These results confirm the view that a disconnection process occurs in aging and contributes to cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Grégory Lecouvey
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Julie Gonneaud
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Francis Eustache
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Géraldine Rauchs
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, 14000 Caen, France
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41
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Relationship between the disrupted topological efficiency of the structural brain connectome and glucose hypometabolism in normal aging. Neuroimage 2020; 226:117591. [PMID: 33248254 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Normal aging is accompanied by structural degeneration and glucose hypometabolism in the human brain. However, the relationship between structural network disconnections and hypometabolism in normal aging remains largely unknown. In the present study, by combining MRI and PET techniques, we investigated the metabolic mechanism of the structural brain connectome and its relationship with normal aging in a cross-sectional, community-based cohort of 42 cognitively normal elderly individuals aged 57-84 years. The structural connectome was constructed based on diffusion MRI tractography, and the network efficiency metrics were quantified using graph theory analyses. FDG-PET scanning was performed to evaluate the glucose metabolic level in the cortical regions of the individuals. The results of this study demonstrated that both network efficiency and cortical metabolism decrease with age (both p < 0.05). In the subregions of the bilateral thalamus, significant correlations between nodal efficiency and cortical metabolism could be observed across subjects. Individual-level analyses indicated that brain regions with higher nodal efficiency tend to exhibit higher metabolic levels, implying a tight coupling between nodal efficiency and glucose metabolism (r = 0.56, p = 1.15 × 10-21). Moreover, efficiency-metabolism coupling coefficient significantly increased with age (r = 0.44, p = 0.0046). Finally, the main findings were also reproducible in the ADNI dataset. Together, our results demonstrate a close coupling between structural brain connectivity and cortical metabolism in normal elderly individuals and provide new insight that improve the present understanding of the metabolic mechanisms of structural brain disconnections in normal aging.
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Beck D, de Lange AMG, Maximov II, Richard G, Andreassen OA, Nordvik JE, Westlye LT. White matter microstructure across the adult lifespan: A mixed longitudinal and cross-sectional study using advanced diffusion models and brain-age prediction. Neuroimage 2020; 224:117441. [PMID: 33039618 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The macro- and microstructural architecture of human brain white matter undergoes substantial alterations throughout development and ageing. Most of our understanding of the spatial and temporal characteristics of these lifespan adaptations come from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including diffusion MRI (dMRI), which enables visualisation and quantification of brain white matter with unprecedented sensitivity and detail. However, with some notable exceptions, previous studies have relied on cross-sectional designs, limited age ranges, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) based on conventional single-shell dMRI. In this mixed cross-sectional and longitudinal study (mean interval: 15.2 months) including 702 multi-shell dMRI datasets, we combined complementary dMRI models to investigate age trajectories in healthy individuals aged 18 to 94 years (57.12% women). Using linear mixed effect models and machine learning based brain age prediction, we assessed the age-dependence of diffusion metrics, and compared the age prediction accuracy of six different diffusion models, including diffusion tensor (DTI) and kurtosis imaging (DKI), neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), restriction spectrum imaging (RSI), spherical mean technique multi-compartment (SMT-mc), and white matter tract integrity (WMTI). The results showed that the age slopes for conventional DTI metrics (fractional anisotropy [FA], mean diffusivity [MD], axial diffusivity [AD], radial diffusivity [RD]) were largely consistent with previous research, and that the highest performing advanced dMRI models showed comparable age prediction accuracy to conventional DTI. Linear mixed effects models and Wilk's theorem analysis showed that the 'FA fine' metric of the RSI model and 'orientation dispersion' (OD) metric of the NODDI model showed the highest sensitivity to age. The results indicate that advanced diffusion models (DKI, NODDI, RSI, SMT mc, WMTI) provide sensitive measures of age-related microstructural changes of white matter in the brain that complement and extend the contribution of conventional DTI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dani Beck
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, PO Box 1094 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital HT, Nesodden, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Ann-Marie G de Lange
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, PO Box 1094 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ivan I Maximov
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, PO Box 1094 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Geneviève Richard
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Lars T Westlye
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, PO Box 1094 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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Zuo X, Zhuang J, Chen NK, Cousins S, Cunha P, Lad EM, Madden DJ, Potter G, Whitson HE. Relationship between neural functional connectivity and memory performance in age-related macular degeneration. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 95:176-185. [PMID: 32829250 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2018] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has been linked to memory deficits, with no established neural mechanisms. We collected resting-state brain functional magnetic resonance imaging and standardized verbal recall tests from 42 older adults with AMD and 41 age-matched controls. We used seed-based whole brain analysis to quantify the strength of functional connectivity between hubs of the default mode network and a network of medial temporal regions relevant for memory. Our results indicated neither memory performance nor network connectivity differed by AMD status. However, the AMD participants exhibited stronger relationships than the controls between memory performance and connectivity from the memory network hub (left parahippocampal) to 2 other regions: the left temporal pole and the right superior/middle frontal gyri. Also, the connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex of default mode network correlated more strongly with memory performance in AMD compared to control. We concluded that stronger brain-behavior correlation in AMD may suggest a role for region-specific connectivity in supporting memory in the context of AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xintong Zuo
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA; Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jie Zhuang
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Nan-Kuei Chen
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Scott Cousins
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Priscila Cunha
- Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Eleonora M Lad
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - David J Madden
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Guy Potter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Heather E Whitson
- Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Medicine (Geriatrics), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Geriatrics Research Education & Clinical Center, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
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Nicolas R, Hiba B, Dilharreguy B, Barse E, Baillet M, Edde M, Pelletier A, Periot O, Helmer C, Allard M, Dartigues JF, Amieva H, Pérès K, Fernandez P, Catheline G. Changes Over Time of Diffusion MRI in the White Matter of Aging Brain, a Good Predictor of Verbal Recall. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:218. [PMID: 32922282 PMCID: PMC7456903 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Extensive research using water-diffusion MRI reported age-related modifications of cerebral White Matter (WM). Moreover, water-diffusion parameter modifications have been frequently associated with cognitive performances in the elderly sample, reinforcing the idea of aging inducing microstructural disconnection of the brain which in turn impacts cognition. However, only few studies really assessed over-time modifications of these parameters and their relationship with episodic memory outcome of elderly. Materials and Methods: One-hundred and thirty elderly subjects without dementia (74.1 ± 4.1 years; 47% female) were included in this study. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed at two-time points (3.49 ± 0.68 years apart), allowing the assessment of changes in water-diffusion parameters over time using a specific longitudinal pipeline. White matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden and gray matter (GM) atrophy were also measured on FLAIR and T1-weighted sequences collected during these two MRI sessions. Free and cued verbal recall scores assessed at the last follow-up of the cohort were used as episodic memory outcome. Changes in water-diffusion parameters over time were included in serial linear regression models to predict retrieval or storage ability of elderly. Results: GM atrophy and an increase in mean diffusivity (MD) and WMH load between the two-time points were observed. The increase in MD was significantly correlated with WMH load and the different memory scores. In models accounting for the baseline cognitive score, GM atrophy, or WMH load, MD changes still significantly predict free verbal recall, and not total verbal recall, suggesting the specific association with the retrieval deficit in healthy aging. Conclusion: In elderly, microstructural WM changes are good predictors of lower free verbal recall performances. Moreover, this contribution is not only driven by WMH load increase. This last observation is in line with studies reporting early water-diffusion modification in WM tissue during aging, resulting lately in the appearance of WMH on conventional MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renaud Nicolas
- Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France
| | - Bassem Hiba
- Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France
| | - Bixente Dilharreguy
- Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France
| | - Elodie Barse
- Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France.,Laboratoire Neuroimagerie et vie quotidienne, EPHE-PSL University, Bordeaux, France
| | - Marion Baillet
- Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France.,Laboratoire Neuroimagerie et vie quotidienne, EPHE-PSL University, Bordeaux, France
| | - Manon Edde
- Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France.,Laboratoire Neuroimagerie et vie quotidienne, EPHE-PSL University, Bordeaux, France
| | - Amandine Pelletier
- Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France.,Laboratoire Neuroimagerie et vie quotidienne, EPHE-PSL University, Bordeaux, France
| | - Olivier Periot
- Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France
| | - Catherine Helmer
- Université de Bordeaux, ISPED, Centre INSERM U1219-Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Bordeaux, France.,INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U1219-Bordeaux Population Heath Research Center, Bordeaux, France
| | - Michele Allard
- Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France.,Service de Médecine Nucléaire, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Jean-François Dartigues
- Université de Bordeaux, ISPED, Centre INSERM U1219-Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Bordeaux, France.,INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U1219-Bordeaux Population Heath Research Center, Bordeaux, France.,CMRR, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Hélène Amieva
- Université de Bordeaux, ISPED, Centre INSERM U1219-Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Bordeaux, France.,INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U1219-Bordeaux Population Heath Research Center, Bordeaux, France
| | - Karine Pérès
- Université de Bordeaux, ISPED, Centre INSERM U1219-Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Bordeaux, France.,INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U1219-Bordeaux Population Heath Research Center, Bordeaux, France
| | - Philippe Fernandez
- Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France.,Service de Médecine Nucléaire, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Gwénaëlle Catheline
- Université de Bordeaux, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287-équipe NeuroImagerie et Cognition Humaine, Bordeaux, France.,Laboratoire Neuroimagerie et vie quotidienne, EPHE-PSL University, Bordeaux, France
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Ebaid D, Crewther SG. Time for a Systems Biological Approach to Cognitive Aging?-A Critical Review. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:114. [PMID: 32477097 PMCID: PMC7236912 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The underlying premise of current theories of cognitive decline with age tend to be primarily cognitive or biological explanations, with relatively few theories adequately integrating both aspects. Though literature has also emphasized the importance of several factors that contribute to cognitive aging including: (a) decline in sensory abilities; (b) the effect of motor speed on paper-pencil measures of cognitive speed; (c) the impact of level of education and physical activity; and (d) molecular biological changes that occur with age, these factors have seldom been implicated into any single theoretical model of cognitive aging. Indeed, such an integrated bio-cognitive model of aging has the potential to provide a more comprehensive understanding of attention, perception, learning, and memory across the lifespan. Thus, the aim of this review was to critically evaluate common theories of age-related cognitive decline and highlight the need for a more comprehensive systems neuroscience approach to cognitive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deena Ebaid
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Nicolas K, Levi C, Evans TJ, Michie PT, Magin P, Quain D, Bivard A, Karayanidis F. Cognition in the First Year After a Minor Stroke, Transient Ischemic Attack, or Mimic Event and the Role of Vascular Risk Factors. Front Neurol 2020; 11:216. [PMID: 32373041 PMCID: PMC7186464 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Cognitive impairment following a minor stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) is common; however, due to diagnostic difficulties, the prevalence and underlying cause of impairment remain poorly defined. We compared cognition in patients after a minor stroke, TIA, or mimic event at three time points in the first year following the event. We examine whether cognitive impairment occurs following these events and whether this impairment differs based on the event type. Further, we measure whether these findings persist after controlling for age, education, and the presence of vascular risk factors and whether the presence of vascular risk factors, independent of event etiology, is associated with cognitive impairment. Lastly, we investigate whether increased stroke risk, as assessed by the ABCD2, is associated with reduced cognition. Methods: Medical information, a cognitive screening test, and a measure of executive functioning were collected from 613 patients (123 minor stroke, 175 TIA, and 315 mimics) using phone interviews at three time points in the first year following the event. Linear mixed models were used to determine the effect of event type, vascular risk factors, and predicted stroke risk on cognitive performance while controlling for confounders. Results: There was no relationship between event type and performance on either cognitive measure. When all confounders are controlled for, performance on the cognitive screening test was uniquely accounted for by the presence of heart failure, myocardial infarction, angina, and hypertension (all p < 0.047), whereas the measure of executive functioning was uniquely accounted for by the presence of hypertension and angina (all p < 0.032). Increased stroke risk also predicted performance on the cognitive screening test and the measure of executive functioning (all p < 0.002). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that cognitive impairment following a minor stroke or TIA may be attributed to the high prevalence of chronic vascular risk factors in these patients. This highlights the importance of long-term management of vascular risk factors beyond event recovery to reduce the risk of cognitive impairment. Increased stroke risk (i.e., ABCD2 score) was also associated with reduced cognition, suggesting that it may be helpful in signaling the need for further cognitive evaluation and intervention post-event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Korinne Nicolas
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.,Brain and Mental Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.,Priority Research Centre for Stroke and Brain Injury, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Christopher Levi
- Brain and Mental Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.,Priority Research Centre for Stroke and Brain Injury, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.,University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Tiffany-Jane Evans
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Patricia T Michie
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.,Brain and Mental Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Parker Magin
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.,Brain and Mental Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.,Priority Research Centre for Stroke and Brain Injury, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Debbie Quain
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.,Brain and Mental Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Andrew Bivard
- Priority Research Centre for Stroke and Brain Injury, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.,Melbourne Brain Center, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Frini Karayanidis
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.,Brain and Mental Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.,Priority Research Centre for Stroke and Brain Injury, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
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Luque Laguna PA, Combes AJE, Streffer J, Einstein S, Timmers M, Williams SCR, Dell'Acqua F. Reproducibility, reliability and variability of FA and MD in the older healthy population: A test-retest multiparametric analysis. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2020; 26:102168. [PMID: 32035272 PMCID: PMC7011084 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In older healthy subjects, FA and MD show overall good test-retest reliability & reproducibility. MD is sistematically more reproducible than FA across the entire brain anatomy. FA is more reliable than MD in subcortical white matter regions. In high reliability & low reproducibility regions, variability between subjects is high and statistical power is low. In low reliability & high reproducibility regions, variability between subjects is low and statistical power is high.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro A Luque Laguna
- Department 5 of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; Natbrainlab, Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK; Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK.
| | - Anna J E Combes
- Department 5 of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Johannes Streffer
- UCB Biopharma SPRL, Chemin du Foriest B-1420 Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium; Reference Center for Biological Markers of Dementia (BIODEM), Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Steven Einstein
- Janssen Research and Development LLC, Titusville, NJ, US; UCB Biopharma SPRL, Chemin du Foriest B-1420 Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium
| | - Maarten Timmers
- Janssen Research and Development, a division of Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Beerse, Belgium; Reference Center for Biological Markers of Dementia (BIODEM), Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Steve C R Williams
- Department 5 of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.
| | - Flavio Dell'Acqua
- Natbrainlab, Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK; Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK.
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Oschwald J, Guye S, Liem F. Brain structure and cognitive ability in healthy aging: a review on longitudinal correlated change. Rev Neurosci 2019; 31:1-57. [PMID: 31194693 PMCID: PMC8572130 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2018-0096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Little is still known about the neuroanatomical substrates related to changes in specific cognitive abilities in the course of healthy aging, and the existing evidence is predominantly based on cross-sectional studies. However, to understand the intricate dynamics between developmental changes in brain structure and changes in cognitive ability, longitudinal studies are needed. In the present article, we review the current longitudinal evidence on correlated changes between magnetic resonance imaging-derived measures of brain structure (e.g. gray matter/white matter volume, cortical thickness), and laboratory-based measures of fluid cognitive ability (e.g. intelligence, memory, processing speed) in healthy older adults. To theoretically embed the discussion, we refer to the revised Scaffolding Theory of Aging and Cognition. We found 31 eligible articles, with sample sizes ranging from n = 25 to n = 731 (median n = 104), and participant age ranging from 19 to 103. Several of these studies report positive correlated changes for specific regions and specific cognitive abilities (e.g. between structures of the medial temporal lobe and episodic memory). However, the number of studies presenting converging evidence is small, and the large methodological variability between studies precludes general conclusions. Methodological and theoretical limitations are discussed. Clearly, more empirical evidence is needed to advance the field. Therefore, we provide guidance for future researchers by presenting ideas to stimulate theory and methods for development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Oschwald
- University Research Priority Program ‘Dynamics of Healthy Aging’, University of Zurich, Andreasstrasse 15, CH-8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sabrina Guye
- University Research Priority Program ‘Dynamics of Healthy Aging’, University of Zurich, Andreasstrasse 15, CH-8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Franziskus Liem
- University Research Priority Program ‘Dynamics of Healthy Aging’, University of Zurich, Andreasstrasse 15, CH-8050 Zurich, Switzerland
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Linking the impact of aging on visual short-term memory capacity with changes in the structural connectivity of posterior thalamus to occipital cortices. Neuroimage 2019; 208:116440. [PMID: 31841682 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging impacts both visual short-term memory (vSTM) capacity and thalamo-cortical connectivity. According to the Neural Theory of Visual Attention, vSTM depends on the structural connectivity between posterior thalamus and visual occipital cortices (PT-OC). We tested whether aging modifies the association between vSTM capacity and PT-OC structural connectivity. To do so, 66 individuals aged 20-77 years were assessed by diffusion-weighted imaging used for probabilistic tractography and performed a psychophysical whole-report task of briefly presented letter arrays, from which vSTM capacity estimates were derived. We found reduced vSTM capacity, and aberrant PT-OC connection probability in aging. Critically, age modified the relationship between vSTM capacity and PT-OC connection probability: in younger adults, vSTM capacity was negatively correlated with PT-OC connection probability while in older adults, this association was positive. Furthermore, age modified the microstructure of PT-OC tracts suggesting that the inversion of the association between PT-OC connection probability and vSTM capacity with aging might reflect age-related changes in white-matter properties. Accordingly, our results demonstrate that age-related differences in vSTM capacity links with the microstructure and connectivity of PT-OC tracts.
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50
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The Effects of Lutein and Zeaxanthin Supplementation on Brain Morphology in Older Adults: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. J Aging Res 2019; 2019:3709402. [PMID: 31871787 PMCID: PMC6913342 DOI: 10.1155/2019/3709402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing literature emphasizes the importance of lifestyle factors such as nutrition in successful aging. The current study examined if one year of supplementation with lutein (L) and zeaxanthin (Z), two nutrients with known antioxidative properties and cognitive benefits, impacted structural brain outcomes in older adults using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial design. Community-dwelling older adults (20 males and 27 females) aged 65–87 years (M = 71.8 years, SD = 6.04 years) were randomized into supplement (N = 33) and placebo groups (N = 14) using simple randomization. The supplement group received 10 mg L + 2 mg Z daily for 12 months while the placebo group received a visually identical, inert placebo. L and Z were measured via retinal concentrations (macular pigment optical density or MPOD). Structural brain outcomes, focusing on global and frontal-temporal lobe regions, were acquired using both T1-weighted and DTI MRI sequences. We hypothesized that the supplement group would increase, maintain, or show attenuated loss in hypothesized regions-of-interest (ROIs) while the placebo group would show age-related declines in brain structural integrity over the course of the trial. While results showed age-related declines for frontal and temporal gray and white matter volumes, as well as fornix white matter microstructure across both groups, only minimal differences were found between the supplement and placebo groups. However, exploratory analyses showed that individuals who responded better to supplementation (i.e., showed greater increases in MPOD) showed less decline in global and prefrontal gray matter volume than supplement “nonresponders.” While results suggest that one year of L and Z supplementation may have limited effects on structural brain outcomes overall, there may be a subsample of individuals for whom supplementation of L and Z provides greater benefits. ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02023645.
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