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Cortical Thinning at Midlife: The PATH Through Life Study.

Marnie E Shaw1, Walter P Abhayaratna2, Perminder S Sachdev3,4

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|July 25, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Healthy midlife adults experience gradual cortical thinning, particularly in frontal and cingulate regions. This age-related brain change, especially accelerated thinning, may serve as an early biomarker for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Keywords:
AgingCortical thicknessHealthyLongitudinalMRIMidlife

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroimaging
  • Human Aging Research
  • Brain Anatomy

Background:

  • Cortical thinning is a normal aspect of aging.
  • Accelerated thinning in specific brain regions may indicate neuropathologies like Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  • Limited data exists on healthy cortical thinning during midlife.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide longitudinal estimates of age-related cortical thinning in healthy midlife adults.
  • To identify brain regions vulnerable to or spared from healthy aging-related cortical thinning.
  • To explore the potential of midlife cortical thinning as a biomarker for neurodegeneration.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal MRI scans (1.5T) of 404 healthy individuals aged 44-49 at baseline.
  • Scans were acquired up to three times over 8 years.
  • Whole-cortex assessment of age-related cortical thickness changes.

Main Results:

  • A mean annual decrease in cortical thickness of 0.26% (left hemisphere) and 0.17% (right hemisphere) was observed.
  • Cortical thinning predominantly affected frontal and cingulate cortices.
  • Medial and lateral temporal regions showed relative sparing from thinning.

Conclusions:

  • Healthy midlife adults exhibit measurable cortical thinning, primarily in frontal and cingulate areas.
  • Understanding regional patterns of healthy thinning is crucial for detecting early neurodegeneration.
  • Identifying vulnerable or spared regions may aid in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.