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Updated: Aug 6, 2026
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3D Modeling of the Lateral Ventricles and Histological Characterization of Periventricular Tissue in Humans and Mouse
Published on: May 19, 2015
Characterization of cortical thickness and ventricular width in normal aging: a morphometric study at 3 Tesla
Christoph Preul1, Margret Hund-Georgiadis, Birte U Forstmann
1Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany. preul@cbs.mpg.de
Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging : JMRI
|August 1, 2006
Summary
Brain aging involves shrinking cortical thickness and expanding ventricles. This study quantifies these changes in healthy adults, noting a strong correlation between third ventricle enlargement and age.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Radiology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Normal aging is associated with structural brain changes.
- Understanding these changes is crucial for differentiating aging from neurodegenerative diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify cortical thickness loss and ventricular enlargement during normal aging.
- To examine the relationship between these changes and chronological age.
- To compare automated segmentation with conventional ventricular measurements.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an automated segmentation algorithm to measure cortical thickness.
- Assessed ventricular indices including ventricular body index (VBI) and anterior horn index (AHI).
- Performed regression analysis to correlate brain structure changes with age.
Main Results:
- Cortical thickness significantly decreases with age in both males and females.
- Ventricular indices show significant correlations with age.
- Cortical thickness and ventricular width are strongly inversely correlated.
Conclusions:
- Normal aging is characterized by decreased cortical thickness and increased ventricular volume.
- Third ventricle enlargement shows the strongest correlation with age.
- These findings provide normative data for brain aging.
