Differences in cortical structure between cognitively normal East Asian and Caucasian older adults: a surface-based...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Comparative Anatomy
• Gerontology

Background:

• Growing research explores ethnicity's impact on brain structure and function.
• Limited studies compare cortical anatomy differences between aging East Asian and Caucasian populations.
• Age-related brain changes exhibit regional heterogeneity and measurement non-uniformity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare cortical thickness, volume, and surface area between cognitively normal older East Asian and Caucasian adults.
• To investigate ethnic differences in brain morphometry using advanced neuroimaging techniques.
• To contribute to a better understanding of brain structure variations across ethnicities in aging.

Main Methods:

• Utilized surface-based morphometry and vertex-wise group analysis.
• Analyzed high-dimensional structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data.
• Compared cortical anatomy measurements in East Asian (n=171) and Caucasian (n=178) older adults.

Main Results:

• East Asians exhibited greater cortical thickness and volume in the right superior temporal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, bilateral inferior temporal gyrus, and inferior parietal cortex.
• Caucasians showed thicker and larger cortex in the left transverse temporal cortex, lingual gyrus, right lateral occipital cortex, and precentral gyrus.
• Observed discordance between differences in surface area and cortical thickness.

Conclusions:

• Significant ethnic differences in cortical anatomy exist between older East Asian and Caucasian adults.
• These structural variations may be linked to differences in language and information processing.
• Further research with standardized racial characteristic assessment is needed to elucidate these brain structure differences and their clinical implications for aging and neurodegenerative diseases.