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Updated: Jun 18, 2026
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Abbiategrasso Brain Bank Protocol for Collecting, Processing and Characterizing Aging Brains
Published on: June 3, 2020
One-year brain atrophy evident in healthy aging.
Anders M Fjell1, Kristine B Walhovd, Christine Fennema-Notestine
1Center for the Study of Human Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway. andersmf@psykologi.uio.no
Summary
Brain aging shows significant cortical thinning and volume loss in healthy older adults. These changes accelerate with age, potentially indicating early Alzheimer's disease processes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Radiology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Understanding brain changes in healthy aging is crucial for cognitive function research.
- Cross-sectional MRI studies indicate cortical thinning, subcortical volume reduction, and ventricular expansion in aging.
- Longitudinal data is needed to validate cross-sectional findings on brain aging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To longitudinally track brain volume changes in healthy elderly individuals.
- To compare age-related brain atrophy with changes observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- To investigate the relationship between aging, brain atrophy, and potential preclinical AD.
Main Methods:
- 142 healthy elderly participants (60-91 years) underwent repeated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
- 122 mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease patients were included for comparison.
- Volume changes were quantified across the entire cortex and 48 specific regions of interest.
Main Results:
- Healthy elderly subjects exhibited significant cortical reductions within 1 year, particularly in temporal and prefrontal areas (approx. 0.5% annual decline).
- Most subcortical structures and ventricles showed significant changes over 1 year, excluding the caudate nucleus and fourth ventricle.
- Atrophy accelerated with increasing age, especially in AD-vulnerable regions, suggesting a possible link to preclinical AD.
Conclusions:
- Normal aging involves widespread and significant brain volume reduction, distinct from but potentially overlapping with early AD pathology.
- Accelerating brain atrophy in older age may be influenced by preclinical Alzheimer's disease processes.
- Longitudinal MRI provides critical insights into the progression of brain changes during healthy aging and its relation to neurodegenerative diseases.
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