Differential aging of the medial temporal lobe: a study of a five-year change

To test the hypothesis that entorhinal cortex (EC) volume decreases at a slower rate than the hippocampal (HC) volume in healthy adults, and to examine whether the rate of shrinkage increases with age.

Volumes of the HC and EC were measured twice on MRI scans of 54 healthy adults (aged 26 to 82 years), with an average interval of 5 years.

Markedly different age trends were noted in the examined regions. The EC showed no age-related differences on both occasions and only minimal age-related change (0.33%/y). By contrast, the HC exhibited significant age-related differences at baseline and at follow-up evaluation and decreased at a faster pace of 0.86%/y. Older participants (aged > or = 50 years) showed increased annual shrinkage of the HC (1.18%) and EC shrinkage (0.53%/y). The rate of HC volume loss significantly exceeded that of the EC. No EC shrinkage and modest HC volume reduction were observed in people aged <50 years.

Age-related shrinkage occurs in the medial temporal lobes of healthy adults, with significant hippocampal decline and minimal entorhinal changes. In both regions, the rate of decline accelerates with age, although the role of pathologic factors in age-related increase of volume loss merits further investigation.