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Interleukin-6, age, and corpus callosum integrity
Brianne M Bettcher1, Christa L Watson1, Christine M Walsh1
1University of California San Francisco, Neurology Department, Memory and Aging Center, San Francisco, California, United States of America.
Plos One
|September 5, 2014
Summary
Inflammation marker interleukin-6 (IL-6) is linked to reduced brain white matter integrity and slower processing speed in older adults. This association, indicating accelerated aging, becomes more pronounced with advancing age.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Immunology
Background:
- Inflammation is increasingly linked to adverse aging outcomes.
- The relationship between interleukin-6 (IL-6), brain structure, and aging is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between IL-6, white matter integrity, and cognition in older adults.
- To investigate if age moderates these associations.
Main Methods:
- 151 community-dwelling older adults were studied.
- Blood IL-6 levels and vascular risk factors were measured.
- Tract-based spatial statistics analyzed white matter integrity (fractional anisotropy) and processing speed.
Main Results:
- Higher IL-6 levels were inversely associated with white matter integrity, particularly in the corpus callosum.
- This inverse association between IL-6 and white matter integrity was stronger in older individuals.
- Higher IL-6 levels correlated with slower processing speed, an effect moderated by age.
Conclusions:
- Higher IL-6 levels are associated with poorer white matter integrity and cognitive function in older adults.
- The detrimental effects of IL-6 on brain structure and cognition are more pronounced with increasing age.
- Inflammatory processes play a significant role in cognitive aging trajectories.
