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Updated: May 29, 2026
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Abbiategrasso Brain Bank Protocol for Collecting, Processing and Characterizing Aging Brains
Published on: June 3, 2020
Brain structural trajectories over the adult lifespan.
Gabriel Ziegler1, Robert Dahnke, Lutz Jäncke
1Department of Psychiatry, Structural Brain Mapping Group, University of Jena, Jena, Germany. Gabriel.Ziegler@uni-jena.de
Human Brain Mapping
|September 8, 2011
Summary
Brain grey matter volume decline is not always linear with age. Some regions, crucial for memory, show preserved volume in early adulthood before a delayed decline, suggesting nonlinear aging patterns.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Radiology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Age-related changes in brain structure are well-documented.
- Previous studies often assumed linear decline in grey matter volume.
- Limited research explored nonlinear, voxel-level age trajectories without predefined regions of interest.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate linear and nonlinear age-related changes in grey matter volume across the adult lifespan.
- To identify specific brain regions exhibiting nonlinear age trajectories.
- To explore the functional implications of nonlinear grey matter dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis.
- Analysis of 547 T1-weighted MRI scans from healthy adults aged 19-86 years.
- Focus on identifying local, nonlinear structural changes at the voxel level.
Main Results:
- Grey matter volume decline is not uniformly linear across the lifespan.
- Nonlinear age trajectories, with initial preservation followed by delayed decline, were observed.
- These nonlinear patterns were prominent in medial temporal lobe regions, basal ganglia, and cerebellum, areas linked to learning and memory.
Conclusions:
- Brain aging exhibits complex, nonlinear patterns in grey matter volume.
- Regions critical for learning and memory show distinct preservation trajectories.
- These findings suggest functional adaptations or resilience in specific brain areas during aging.
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