Relationship between grey matter integrity and executive abilities in aging.
Marine Manard1, Mohamed Ali Bahri2, Eric Salmon2
1GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre: In vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Allée du 6 Août 8, Bât B30, B-4000 Liège, Belgium; Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liège, Boulevard du Rectorat 3, Bât B33, B-4000 Liège, Belgium.
Brain Research
|April 25, 2016
Summary
Healthy aging impacts grey matter volume across many brain regions, not just frontal areas. Executive function in older adults correlates with grey matter volume, but not cortical thickness.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
- Cognitive Aging
Background:
- Healthy aging is associated with structural brain changes, particularly in grey matter.
- Executive functioning undergoes age-related decline, but its neural correlates remain debated.
- Previous research shows inconsistent findings regarding age-related grey matter changes and executive function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related grey matter volume and cortical thickness differences in healthy adults.
- To examine the relationship between grey matter characteristics and executive functioning in older adults.
- To explore the influence of methodological choices on study outcomes in aging research.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study comparing young (18-30 years) and older adults (60-75 years).
- Neuropsychological testing to assess executive functioning (inhibition, updating, shifting).
- Voxel-based morphometry and cortical thickness analysis for grey matter assessment.
Main Results:
- Widespread age-related grey matter volume differences were observed across numerous brain regions.
- Cortical thinning was primarily localized to central brain areas.
- Older adults showed a significant relationship between global executive performance and reduced grey matter volume in anterior and posterior regions, including subcortical structures.
- Executive functioning correlated with grey matter volume, but not cortical thickness.
Conclusions:
- Age-related grey matter volume reduction is distributed broadly, not confined to frontal regions.
- Executive functioning in aging is linked to grey matter volume, suggesting structural integrity is crucial.
- Methodological variations in neuroimaging analysis may contribute to discrepancies in the literature on cognitive aging.
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