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Abbiategrasso Brain Bank Protocol for Collecting, Processing and Characterizing Aging Brains
Published on: June 3, 2020
Longitudinal pattern of regional brain volume change differentiates normal aging from MCI
I Driscoll1, C Davatzikos, Y An
1Laboratory of Personality and Cognition, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
Neurology
|June 3, 2009
Summary
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) shows accelerated brain volume loss in specific regions like the hippocampus, distinct from normal aging. Early neuroimaging can detect these patterns for disease onset and progression tracking.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Neuroimaging offers potential surrogate markers for disease before clinical symptoms manifest.
- The precise regional brain changes in clinically normal older adults remain unclear.
- This study investigates early Alzheimer disease-related pathological changes and their association with accelerated brain volume loss in mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish the regional pattern of brain changes in clinically normal older adults.
- To determine if specific brain regions show accelerated volume loss in individuals with MCI compared to normal aging.
- To identify potential neuroimaging markers for early disease detection.
Main Methods:
- Prospective evaluation of 138 non-demented individuals (age 64-86) over 10 years through the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.
- Diagnosis of MCI in 18 participants during the study period.
- Application of mixed-effects regression to compare regional brain volume trajectories between clinically normal individuals and those with MCI, using 1,017 observations.
Main Results:
- All investigated brain volumes showed decline with normal aging.
- Accelerated age-related volume loss was observed in ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (vCSF), frontal gray matter, and superior parietal regions.
- The MCI group exhibited accelerated changes in whole brain volume, vCSF, temporal gray matter, and specific cortical regions, including the hippocampus.
Conclusions:
- While age-related volume loss is widespread, MCI is linked to a distinct pattern of structural vulnerability and differential regional volume loss.
- Early identification of these abnormal patterns is crucial for detecting disease onset and monitoring progression.
- Neuroimaging may provide valuable insights into the early stages of cognitive decline.
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