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Selective association between cortical thickness and reference abilities in normal aging
Seonjoo Lee1, Christian Habeck2, Qolamreza Razlighi2
1Division of Biostatistics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
Neuroimage
|June 30, 2016
Summary
Detailed brain cortical thickness patterns reveal specific cognitive abilities, including memory and vocabulary, independent of age. This research highlights localized brain-cortex associations beyond global cognition measures.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Brain Imaging
Background:
- Previous studies showed cognitive abilities and cortical thickness associations were obscured by global measures.
- Global cognition correlates with mean cortical thickness but also exhibits regional specificity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if detailed spatial patterns of cortical thickness can identify cognitive ability-specific associations.
- To examine associations between cortical thickness and memory, perceptual speed, and vocabulary, controlling for global factors and age.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of detailed spatial patterns of cortical thickness.
- Statistical control for mean cortical thickness, global cognition, and linear chronological age.
Main Results:
- Specific associations were found between cortical thickness and memory, perceptual speed, and vocabulary.
- Global cognition showed both mean thickness correlation and regionally specific associations.
- No nonlinear associations were observed for cognition, age effects, or age-by-thickness interactions.
Conclusions:
- Preserving detailed cortical thickness patterns is crucial for identifying localized brain-behavior relationships.
- Cognition-cortical thickness associations are independent of age, suggesting brain-behavioral invariance across the lifespan.
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