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Updated: Aug 17, 2025
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Localization of the Locus Coeruleus in the Mouse Brain
Published on: March 7, 2019
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Locus coeruleus and dorsal cingulate morphology contributions to slowed processing speed
Mark A Eckert1, Federico Iuricich2, Kelly C Harris1
1Hearing Research Program, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, MSC 550, Charleston, S.C., 29425-5500, USA.
Neuropsychologia
|December 17, 2022
Summary
Cognitive aging slows processing speed. Brain structure in the nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) and medial prefrontal cortex impacts this, with dorsal cingulate thickness being key to age-related slowing.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Aging Research
Background:
- Slowed information processing speed is a hallmark of cognitive aging.
- The nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) and medial prefrontal cortex are crucial for optimizing task performance and influencing response latencies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if structural integrity of the LC and medial prefrontal cortex explains individual differences in processing speed.
- To determine if LC structural declines contribute to age-related processing speed deficits.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 43 adults (aged 19-79).
- Structural brain measures of LC and medial prefrontal cortex were acquired.
- Persistent homology was used to measure LC structure (turbo-spin echo contrast).
- Cortical thickness of the dorsal cingulate was measured.
Main Results:
- Higher LC contrast and greater dorsal cingulate cortical thickness were each uniquely associated with faster processing speed.
- Dorsal cingulate cortical thickness statistically mediated age-related differences in processing speed.
Conclusions:
- Individual differences in cognitive processing speed are partly explained by structural variations in the LC and medial prefrontal cortex.
- Dorsal cingulate cortical thickness is particularly important for understanding age-related processing speed decline.
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