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Longitudinal Changes in the Cerebral Cortex Functional Organization of Healthy Elderly
Joanna Su Xian Chong1, Kwun Kei Ng1, Jesisca Tandi1
1Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders Programme, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, Singapore 169857, and.
Summary
Healthy aging disrupts brain network organization, leading to reduced segregation and integration. These changes, particularly in cognitive networks, correlate with cognitive decline in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Aging Research
Background:
- Healthy aging is associated with alterations in brain functional modular organization.
- Previous studies show age-related reductions in functional segregation and distinctiveness of brain networks.
- Longitudinal changes in brain functional architecture and their link to cognitive decline are less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine age- and aging-related changes in the functional architecture of the cerebral cortex.
- To investigate longitudinal changes in brain functional modular organization in healthy elderly individuals.
- To associate these network changes with cognitive performance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized task-free functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data.
- Analyzed a cross-sectional young cohort and a longitudinal healthy elderly cohort.
- Employed graph theoretical and community detection approaches to assess network properties like segregation and integration.
Main Results:
- Found global decreases in network segregation (local efficiency) and integration (global efficiency) in elderly compared to young individuals, and longitudinally.
- Observed reduced module distinctiveness (increased participation coefficient) across all modules cross-sectionally and in higher-order cognitive networks (control, default mode, salience/ventral attention) longitudinally.
- Correlated lower local efficiency and higher participation coefficient with poorer attention and global cognitive performance in elderly participants.
Conclusions:
- Healthy aging is characterized by whole-brain, connectome-wide changes in functional modular organization.
- Aging leads to a loss of functional segregation, particularly in higher-order cognitive networks.
- Deterioration in functional network organization is linked to age-related cognitive decline.
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