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Coupled changes in brain white matter microstructure and fluid intelligence in later life
Stuart J Ritchie1, Mark E Bastin2, Elliot M Tucker-Drob3
1Department of Psychology, Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, and stuart.ritchie@ed.ac.uk.
Summary
Brain white matter changes are linked to cognitive decline in aging adults. Specifically, changes in white matter microstructure correlated with fluid intelligence decline between ages 73 and 76.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Aging-related cognitive decline is a significant concern, yet its neural underpinnings remain unclear.
- White matter microstructure changes are associated with cognitive function, but longitudinal studies are scarce.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate coupled longitudinal changes in white matter microstructure and cognitive domains during aging.
- To examine the relationship between fractional anisotropy (FA) and fluid intelligence, processing speed, and memory.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal diffusion tensor MRI and cognitive assessments were conducted on a large cohort at ages 73 and 76.
- Fractional anisotropy (FA) was used to index white matter microstructure.
- Cognitive performance was measured across fluid intelligence, processing speed, and memory.
Main Results:
- Longitudinal white matter microstructure changes were coupled with changes in fluid intelligence.
- No significant coupling was observed between white matter changes and processing speed or memory.
- Higher baseline white matter FA predicted less subsequent decline in processing speed.
Conclusions:
- Evidence supports a longitudinal link between white matter microstructure changes and cognitive aging in the eighth decade of life.
- Findings align with theories suggesting corticocortical disconnection contributes to cognitive aging.
Keywords:
cognitive agingdiffusion tensor imagingfluid intelligencefractional anisotropyprocessing speedwhite matter microstructureMore Related Videos
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