Identifying brain changes related to cognitive aging using VBM and visual rating scales
Valentina Pergher1, Philippe Demaerel2, Olivier Soenen2
1KU Leuven -University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Laboratory for Neuro-& Psychophysiology, Leuven, Belgium.
Neuroimage. Clinical
|February 12, 2019
Summary
Brain structure changes with age, but education level significantly impacts grey matter volume and atrophy. Higher education is linked to greater grey matter volume and less atrophy in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Aging Research
Background:
- Aging is associated with brain structure and cognitive function changes.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) visualizes structural changes using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and visual rating scales.
- The relationship between cognitive function, demographics, and MRI-detected brain changes in normal aging requires further understanding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate correlations between demographic factors (age, sex, education), cognitive performance, and MRI-based brain measures in healthy older adults.
- To assess how education level influences grey matter volume and atrophy.
- To determine the relationship between working memory and brain structure.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 55 healthy adults aged 50-79 years.
- Administered a cognitive test battery, including Digit Span Backward for working memory.
- Utilized MRI with voxel-based grey matter morphometry (VBM) and visual rating scales for atrophy assessment.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in VBM grey matter volume were observed based on education level (≤ 12 vs. > 12 years).
- Lower educational attainment correlated with reduced grey matter volume.
- Age interacted with education, showing larger grey matter volume in younger, highly educated adults.
- Grey matter volume correlated with working memory performance (Digit Span Backward).
- Visual ratings showed positive correlations with age and education, indicating increased atrophy with age and lower education.
Conclusions:
- MRI-VBM effectively detects structural brain differences related to education level.
- Brain structure, as measured by VBM and visual ratings, correlates with educational attainment and age.
- Working memory performance is associated with grey matter volume in healthy older adults.
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