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Co-analysis of Brain Structure and Function using fMRI and Diffusion-weighted Imaging

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Fiber bundle length and cognition: a length-based tractography MRI study.

Ashley M Behrman-Lay¹, Christina Usher², Thomas E Conturo³

¹Department of Psychology, University of Missouri - Saint Louis, 1 University Boulevard, Stadler Hall 442C, Saint Louis, MO, 63121, 314 - 805 - 3684, USA. ambn98@mail.umsl.edu.

Brain Imaging and Behavior

|November 8, 2014

Summary

Cognitive decline in aging adults is linked to shorter white matter fiber bundle lengths (FBLs) in specific brain regions. This study connects reduced FBLs to declines in executive function (EF) and cognitive processing speed (CPS).

Keywords:

Aging Cognitive processing speed DTI Executive function Fiber bundle lengths White matter

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Gerontology
Cognitive Psychology

Background:

Executive function (EF) and cognitive processing speed (CPS) decline with age, correlating with frontal lobe volume loss.
The specific role of white matter microstructure in age-related cognitive decline remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between white matter microstructure, specifically mean fiber bundle lengths (FBLs), and EF/CPS performance in healthy aging adults.
To determine if FBLs in different brain lobes are associated with age-related changes in cognitive functions.

Main Methods:

Utilized quantitative tractography metrics from diffusion-tensor MRI to measure FBLs in 73 healthy older adults.
Assessed EF and CPS using the Trail Making Test (TMT), Color-Word Interference Test, Letter-Number Sequencing (L-N Seq), and Symbol Coding.

Main Results:

Parietal and occipital FBLs significantly predicted variance in EF. Frontal, temporal, and occipital FBLs predicted variance in CPS.
Shorter FBLs in occipital, frontal, and parietal regions were associated with poorer performance on specific EF and CPS tests.
Shorter FBLs correlated with increased age, suggesting age-related FBL shortening impacts cognitive performance.

Conclusions:

Age-related shortening of FBLs in specific brain regions is associated with diminished EF and CPS in older adults.
Findings support both the frontal aging hypothesis and processing speed theory as contributors to age-related cognitive decline.