Vestibular function and cortical and sub-cortical alterations in an aging population.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• The vestibular system is crucial for balance, posture, and coordination.
• Emerging evidence suggests a significant role for the vestibular system in cognition.
• Vestibular dysfunction is increasingly linked to cognitive deficits in older adults, but underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between vestibular function and brain structure morphometry.
• To identify specific brain regions affected by vestibular loss using neuroimaging.
• To explore pathways linking vestibular dysfunction to cognitive changes in aging.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study utilizing data from 80 participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.
• Structural brain MRI and physiological vestibular data (cVEMP) acquired concurrently.
• Analysis of volumes and shapes of key brain structures including hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, and the entorhinal cortex (ERC)-trans-entorhinal cortex (TEC) complex.

Main Results:

• Reduced volumes in the hippocampus and ERC were associated with poorer vestibular function.
• Significant correlations were found between vestibular function and the shape of the hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, caudate nucleus, putamen, and the ERC-TEC complex.
• These findings highlight structural brain changes linked to vestibular deficits.

Conclusions:

• Vestibular loss is associated with alterations in brain structures vital for cognitive functions.
• This research provides novel insights into the neuroanatomical pathways affected by vestibular dysfunction.
• Understanding these links is critical for addressing cognitive decline in aging populations.