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Cascade process mediated by left hippocampus and left superior frontal gyrus affects relationship between aging and
Yumika Kokudai1, Motoyasu Honma2, Yuri Masaoka1
1Department of Physiology, Showa University School of Medicine, 1-5-8 Hatanodai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8555, Japan.
BMC Neuroscience
|December 8, 2021
Summary
Aging impacts cognitive function through a brain pathway. Age affects the hippocampus, which influences the superior frontal gyrus, impacting cognitive abilities and overall function.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Cognitive function often declines with advanced age.
- Brain region atrophy, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, is linked to age-related cognitive decline.
- The precise mechanisms linking aging and cognitive dysfunction remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between aging and cognitive dysfunction.
- To explore the mediating role of specific brain regions in this relationship.
- To elucidate the cascade process from aging to cognitive decline.
Main Methods:
- Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to measure gray matter volume in 39 participants across a wide age range (24-85 years).
- Path analysis was employed to assess the cascade process between aging and cognitive dysfunction.
- Specific brain regions were designated as mediator variables within the path analysis.
Main Results:
- Age was found to influence the left hippocampus.
- The left hippocampus directly affected the left superior frontal gyrus.
- The left superior frontal gyrus directly impacted higher-order flexibility and maintenance abilities (measured by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test), which in turn affected general cognitive function assessment.
Conclusions:
- A cascade process involving the left hippocampus and left superior frontal gyrus mediates the relationship between aging and cognitive dysfunction.
- This pathway provides insight into how aging affects cognitive abilities.
- Understanding this neuroanatomical pathway may inform interventions for age-related cognitive decline.
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