Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026
08:53
Author Spotlight: Automated Lifespan Monitoring – Discovering Aging Dynamics with the Lifespan Machine
Published on: January 26, 2024
1.7K
Longitudinal atlas for normative human brain development and aging over the lifespan using quantitative
Yuyao Zhang1, Hongjiang Wei1, Matthew J Cronin1
1Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California at Berkeley, CA, USA.
Neuroimage
|January 13, 2018
Summary
This study introduces a 4D developmental quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) atlas to track brain iron and myelin changes across the lifespan. The new atlas improves segmentation accuracy, particularly in children, and reveals age-related magnetic susceptibility trends in deep gray matter nuclei.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Medical Image Analysis
Background:
- Longitudinal brain atlases are crucial for understanding brain development and cognition.
- Current atlases rely on T1/T2-weighted MRI, limiting detailed analysis of iron and myelin changes.
- A 4D quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) atlas is needed for age-related iron and myelin estimation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a 4D developmental QSM atlas for tracking age-related changes in brain iron and myelin.
- To create accurate deep gray matter nuclei (DGM) and whole-brain parcellation maps using QSM.
- To analyze age-related magnetic susceptibility progression in key brain regions.
Main Methods:
- Generated group-wise co-registered QSM templates across age intervals (1-83 years).
- Combined T1-weighted and QSM images for registration.
- Developed DGM and whole-brain QSM parcellation maps, including detailed thalamus segmentation.
Main Results:
- The 4D QSM atlas significantly improved segmentation accuracy of iron-rich nuclei, especially in pediatric subjects.
- Age-related magnetic susceptibility progression was estimated for DGM nuclei, hippocampus, and amygdala.
- Confirmed previous findings on susceptibility changes with age and identified varied trends in thalamic sub-regions.
Conclusions:
- The novel 4D QSM atlas enhances the study of brain development and aging.
- It provides a valuable tool for investigating iron deposition and myelination/demyelination in normal and pathological aging.
- The atlas facilitates automated, systematic analysis of age-related brain changes.
Related Concept Videos
02:20Longitudinal Research
13.5K
Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
13.5K
01:26Longitudinal Studies
540
Longitudinal studies are also widely used in other medical and social science fields. For instance, in cardiovascular research, they can monitor patients' health over decades to identify risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or smoking, and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of preventive measures. Similarly, in mental health studies, researchers might follow individuals from adolescence into adulthood to understand the development and progression of conditions like...
540
01:31Magnetic Susceptibility and Permeability
2.5K
In linear magnetic materials, like paramagnets and diamagnets, magnetization is proportional to the magnetic field intensity. The constant of proportionality, a dimensionless number, is called magnetic susceptibility. The value of the susceptibility depends on the type of material.
When diamagnetic materials are placed under an external magnetic field, the moments opposite to the field are induced. Hence, the susceptibility for diamagnets has a minimal negative value of 10-5–10-6. Since...
When diamagnetic materials are placed under an external magnetic field, the moments opposite to the field are induced. Hence, the susceptibility for diamagnets has a minimal negative value of 10-5–10-6. Since...
2.5K
01:26Aging
848
Aging is a complex biological phenomenon influenced by various processes that affect cellular and systemic functions. Several prominent theories attempt to explain its mechanisms, highlighting cellular limitations, oxidative damage, and hormonal changes as central factors in aging.
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
848
01:26Susceptibility, Permittivity and Dielectric Constant
3.1K
When placed in an external electric field, a dielectric material gets polarized. The charge density in the dielectric material is given by the sum of the bound and free charge densities, while the total charge density can also be written in terms of the total electric field. The bound charge density can be measured in terms of polarization, leading to the relationship between electric displacement and polarization.
3.1K
01:19The Effect of Aging on Tissues
3.7K
Several body functions deteriorate with age. The external signs of aging are easily identifiable. For example, the skin becomes dry, less elastic, and thins out, forming wrinkles. The skin of the face begins to appear looser due to a decrease in the levels of elastic and collagen fibers in the connective tissue. Additionally, melanin production in the hair follicle decreases with age, resulting in gray hair. Moreover, the senses of sight and hearing decline, so glasses and hearing aids may...
3.7K