Brain Morphometry and Cognitive Performance in Normal Brain Aging: Age- and Sex-Related Structural and Functional...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Human brain structure changes significantly across the lifespan.
• Cognitive functions can be positively or negatively impacted by aging.
• Differentiating normal brain aging from accelerated aging is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a descriptive model of structural and functional brain changes during normal aging.
• To analyze lifelong dynamics of brain volumetric data and neurofunctional performance.

Main Methods:

• Voxel-based morphometry and lesion segmentation were employed.
• Linear statistics and machine learning (ML) were utilized to model neurofunctional performance.
• Sex differences in brain volumetric data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U-test.

Main Results:

• White matter hyperintensities are not primary determinants of normal brain aging but indicate disease.
• Gray matter atrophy shows sex differences, potentially starting earlier or progressing faster in males.
• Increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proportions in elderly men suggest higher susceptibility to age-related brain atrophy compared to women.

Conclusions:

• Distinct patterns of age-related cognitive function changes are supported by the data.
• Slowing decision-making may correlate with linear enlargement of the interhemispheric fissure due to frontal cortex atrophy.
• An online tool is available to illustrate study findings on brain aging.