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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2026

A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance

A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance

Published on: May 7, 2014

Brain structural complexity and life course cognitive change.

Nazahah Mustafa¹, Trevor S Ahearn, Gordon D Waiter

¹Aberdeen Biomedical Imaging Centre, Lilian Sutton Building, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, AB25 2ZD Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.

|April 19, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Higher white matter fractal dimension (FD) is linked to better cognitive aging. Greater FD in older adults correlated with preserved fluid intelligence and less cognitive decline from childhood.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Brain Imaging
Cognitive Science

Background:

Fractal dimension (FD) quantifies brain structural complexity.
FD has been used in clinical neuroscience for brain development, aging, and disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

To examine associations between white matter FD and cognitive changes across the life course.
To investigate cognitive aging in the absence of detectable brain disease.

Main Methods:

Calculated FD from segmented cerebral white matter MRI scans in 217 subjects (aged ~68 years).
Utilized archived intelligence scores from age 11 years and cognitive test scores at age 68 years.

Main Results:

Found significant sex differences in brain volume and cognitive scores at age 68.
Observed novel associations between FD and cognitive change from age 11 to 68 years.
Greater FD correlated with higher fluid abilities at age 68 than predicted by childhood intelligence and less cognitive decline.

Conclusions:

FD measures of white matter complexity are associated with cognitive aging.
Higher FD may indicate preserved cognitive function and reduced decline over the life course.
These findings support the link between structural brain complexity and cognitive trajectories.