Spontaneous sensorimotor beta power and cortical thickness uniquely predict motor function in healthy aging

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Aging Research
• Motor Control

Background:

• Spontaneous beta activity in motor cortices increases with age.
• This increase is linked to stronger beta oscillations during movement planning.
• The link between age-related beta changes, cortical thickness, and motor function is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between age-related changes in spontaneous beta activity, cortical thickness, and motor function.
• To determine the unique contributions of spontaneous beta power and cortical thickness to motor function across the adult lifespan.

Main Methods:

• Collected resting-state magnetoencephalography (MEG), structural MRI, and motor function scores from 126 healthy adults (ages 22-72).
• Used source-imaged MEG data and vertex-wise regression to analyze age-related differences in spontaneous beta power.
• Computed cortical thickness and used hierarchical regression to assess contributions to motor function.

Main Results:

• Spontaneous beta power increased with age, particularly in sensorimotor cortices.
• Sensorimotor cortical thickness was not related to spontaneous beta power beyond age.
• Both cortical thickness and spontaneous beta power uniquely predicted motor function when controlling for age.

Conclusions:

• Cortical thickness and spontaneous beta activity in sensorimotor cortices have dissociable contributions to motor function across the adult lifespan.
• Findings highlight the complex interactions between brain structure and function in healthy aging.
• Understanding these interactions is crucial for advancing research in aging and neurological diseases.