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The relationship between white matter hyperintensities and cognitive reference abilities across the life span
Ana R Moura1, Seonjoo Lee2, Christian Habeck3
1Cognitive Neuroscience Division, The Taub Institute for Research on Aging and Alzheimer's Disease, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Departamento de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental, Lisboa, Portugal.
White matter hyperintensities (WMH) increase after age 43, negatively impacting cognitive functions like memory and perceptual speed. Parietal lobe WMH burden significantly mediates age-related declines in perceptual speed.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Aging Research
Background:
- White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are common in aging and linked to cognitive decline.
- Understanding the relationship between WMH burden and specific cognitive abilities across the lifespan is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between white matter hyperintensities (WMH) burden and performance on episodic memory, perceptual speed, fluid reasoning, and vocabulary.
- To identify age-related changes in WMH and their impact on cognitive functions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of cross-sectional data from 486 healthy adults aged 20-80.
- Piecewise regression to identify age-related WMH inflection points.
- Correlation and principal component analysis to assess WMH volume and cognitive performance.
Main Results:
- WMH volume significantly increased after age 43.
- Total WMH volume inversely correlated with perceptual speed and memory.
- Regional WMH burden showed inverse correlations with all tested cognitive abilities.
- Parietal WMH burden mediated the relationship between age and perceptual speed.
Conclusions:
- WMH accumulation significantly impacts cognitive functions, particularly perceptual speed and memory, in aging adults.
- Parietal lobe WMH burden plays a key role in mediating age-related cognitive decline.
- These findings clarify the influence of WMH on cognitive aging across the adult lifespan.
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