Aging-Sensitive Networks Within the Human Structural Connectome Are Implicated in Late-Life Cognitive Declines
James W Madole1, Stuart J Ritchie2, Simon R Cox3
1Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
Biological Psychiatry
|August 24, 2020
Summary
Aging brain networks, particularly the central executive network, are linked to cognitive decline. Understanding these changes is crucial for identifying precursors to dementia and preserving cognitive function in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Aging research
- Cognitive science
Background:
- Aging-related cognitive decline is a significant risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
- Identifying neurobiological bases of cognitive decline in aging populations is key to understanding dementia precursors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine aging of regional gray matter volumes (nodes) and white matter structural connectivity (edges) within human brain networks.
- To test if aging-sensitive connectome elements predict cognitive function in older adults, controlling for early-life cognition.
Main Methods:
- Utilized structural and diffusion brain MRI data from the UK Biobank (n=8185; age 45-78).
- Analyzed aging of nodes and edges within 9 human brain networks.
- Validated findings in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (n=534; age 73).
Main Results:
- Connectome aging occurred on broad dimensions of brain architecture variation in the UK Biobank.
- Node integrity predicted all cognitive domains; edge integrity predicted processing speed in the Lothian cohort.
- Central executive network elements were disproportionately predictive of late-life cognitive function.
Conclusions:
- Global variations in the human structural connectome are implicated in aging-related cognitive decline.
- The central executive network appears critical for age-related cognitive function and impairments.
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