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Abbiategrasso Brain Bank Protocol for Collecting, Processing and Characterizing Aging Brains
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Birth size and brain function 75 years later.

Majon Muller1, Sigurdur Sigurdsson2, Olafur Kjartansson3

  • 1Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland; Departments of Gerontology and Geriatrics, and.

Pediatrics
|September 3, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Smaller birth size is linked to reduced brain volume and cognitive function in older adults. These effects are more pronounced in individuals with lower educational attainment, highlighting early life influences on brain health.

Keywords:
agingbirth sizebrain atrophycognitioneducation

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Gerontology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Growing evidence suggests early life factors influence aging brain diseases.
  • Direct investigation in older populations regarding fetal origins of brain aging is lacking.
  • This study explores fetal size associations with late-life brain structure and function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between fetal size and brain structure/function in older adults.
  • To examine the modifying effect of education on these associations.
  • To provide clinical evidence for early origins of brain aging.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the AGES-Reykjavik cohort (born 1907-1935).
  • Abstracted archived birth records for 1254 participants.
  • Assessed brain MRI and cognitive function around age 75.

Main Results:

  • Lower Ponderal Index (third-trimester fetal wasting indicator) correlated with smaller total brain and white matter volumes.
  • Lower Ponderal Index was associated with slower processing speed and reduced executive function.
  • These cognitive effects were significant only in individuals with low education levels.

Conclusions:

  • Smaller birth size, indicating a suboptimal intrauterine environment, is linked to late-life brain volume and function alterations.
  • The impact of a suboptimal intrauterine environment on cognitive function in later life is moderated by educational level.
  • This study provides clinical evidence for early life influences on brain aging.