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The relationship between episodic long-term memory and white matter integrity in normal aging
R A Charlton1, T R Barrick, H S Markus
1Clinical Neuroscience, St George's University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK. rcharlton@sgul.ac.uk
Neuropsychologia
|August 25, 2009
Summary
Episodic long-term memory (LTM) decline in aging is linked to white matter network integrity. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) showed reduced white matter integrity significantly impacts LTM performance in healthy older adults.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Episodic long-term memory (LTM) is known to decline with normal aging.
- Disruption of white matter networks is a potential contributing factor to this decline.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between white matter integrity and episodic LTM in healthy aging adults.
- To determine if white matter integrity, white matter hyperintensities (WMH), or brain volumes predict LTM performance.
Main Methods:
- 104 healthy adults aged 50-90 years participated in the GENIE study.
- White matter integrity was assessed using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
- Additional measures included white matter hyperintensities (WMH), normalized brain and hippocampal volumes, and various cognitive tests.
Main Results:
- Episodic LTM correlated significantly with DTI measures, WMH, and whole brain volume, but not hippocampal volume.
- Linear regression revealed that DTI measures alone explained approximately 19% of the variance in LTM.
- Mediation analyses explored the role of other cognitive functions in the DTI-memory association.
Conclusions:
- Reduced episodic LTM performance in normal aging is associated with decreased integrity of white matter pathways.
- These findings highlight the importance of white matter network integrity for supporting episodic memory in older adults.
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