Associations between cognitive and brain volume changes in cognitively normal older adults
Nicole M Armstrong1, Yang An2, John J Shin2
1Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21224-6825, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Neuroimage
|August 25, 2020
Summary
Brain atrophy patterns are linked to specific cognitive declines in aging. Memory loss correlates with temporal and occipital lobe volume reduction, while executive function decline relates to frontal, parietal, and temporal lobe changes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Understanding individual differences in cognitive aging is crucial.
- Age-related brain volume changes may underlie cognitive decline.
- Specific cognitive domains (memory, verbal fluency, visuospatial ability, executive function, attention) are affected differently by aging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between changes in regional brain volumes and domain-specific cognitive changes over time.
- To identify specific patterns of brain atrophy associated with distinct cognitive aging trajectories.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 836 participants from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.
- Assessment of domain-specific cognition, executive function, attention, and 47 brain volumes of interest (VOIs).
- Bivariate linear mixed effects models used to analyze longitudinal trajectories and correlations.
Main Results:
- Memory decline associated with volume loss in 14 VOIs (temporal, occipital lobes).
- Verbal fluency decline linked to ventricular enlargement and volume loss in 24 VOIs (frontal, temporal, parietal lobes).
- Executive function decline associated with ventricular enlargement and volume loss in 10 VOIs (frontal, parietal, temporal lobes); attentional decline linked to 4 VOIs (temporal, parietal lobes); visuospatial decline linked to 3 VOIs (temporal, parietal lobes).
Conclusions:
- Domain-specific patterns of regional brain atrophy are evident in aging.
- These distinct patterns of brain volume loss may explain individual differences in cognitive aging.
- Findings highlight the link between specific brain regions and cognitive functions during aging.
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