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Updated: Mar 2, 2026
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Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
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Age-related white matter integrity differences in oldest-old without dementia
Ilana J Bennett1, Dana E Greenia2, Pauline Maillard3
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA.
Neurobiology of Aging
|May 22, 2017
Summary
White matter integrity declines with advanced age, even in the oldest-old without dementia. These age-related changes in brain white matter persist through the 10th decade of life.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Aging significantly impacts cerebral white matter, but alterations in advanced age remain poorly understood.
- Previous research identified age-related white matter changes in younger-old adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate white matter integrity in the oldest-old adults (90-103 years).
- To assess the relationship between chronological age and white matter integrity across 18 brain regions.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used in 94 oldest-old adults without dementia.
- Analysis focused on fractional anisotropy (FA) as a measure of white matter integrity.
Main Results:
- Significant age-related declines in white matter integrity were observed in key regions like the corpus callosum and cingulum.
- The genu of the corpus callosum showed a weaker age effect compared to the splenium.
- Declines were consistent across cognitively normal and impaired oldest-old, suggesting normal aging processes.
Conclusions:
- Cerebral white matter integrity is vulnerable to normal aging processes extending into the 10th decade of life.
- These findings highlight the persistent effects of aging on brain structure in very old age.
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