Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026
3D Modeling of the Lateral Ventricles and Histological Characterization of Periventricular Tissue in Humans and Mouse
Published on: May 19, 2015
Morphological changes in the cerebellum during aging: evidence from convolutional neural networks and shape analysis
Yu Wang1,2, Ye Teng1,2, Tianci Liu1,2
1Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Research Center for Sectional and Imaging Anatomy, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
Cerebellar volume and shape change with age, with specific regions showing more significant atrophy in men. This study offers a detailed view of aging-related cerebellar morphology changes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Cerebellar morphology and function are linked to developmental disorders and healthy aging.
- Previous studies primarily used volumetric methods to assess age-related cerebellar changes, which have limitations in visualizing 3D morphological alterations.
- A comprehensive understanding of age-related cerebellar atrophy requires detailed subregion analysis and shape assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively describe age-related cerebellar morphological changes using both subregion volume measurements and shape analysis.
- To identify specific cerebellar subregions affected by aging and sex-based differences in atrophy.
- To provide a detailed 3D perspective on cerebellar atrophy during the aging process.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a novel convolutional neural network-based cerebellar segmentation algorithm for subregion volume analysis.
- Performed shape analysis based on cerebellar thickness to assess localized atrophy.
- Included 553 healthy participants aged 20-80 years.
Main Results:
- Significant aging trends were observed in 15 out of 28 absolute cerebellar subregion volumes and 11 out of 28 relative volumes.
- Significant sex differences were found in 16 absolute and 4 relative subregion volumes.
- Shape analysis revealed region-specific cerebellar atrophy with age, particularly in the vermis, lateral hemispheres, lobules I-III, and medial posterior lobe, with men showing slightly more severe atrophy.
Conclusions:
- Aging significantly impacts cerebellar morphology, affecting specific subregions differently.
- Cerebellar atrophy patterns during aging exhibit sex-specific variations.
- The study provides a detailed, 3D perspective on age-related cerebellar atrophy, enhancing our understanding of neuroaging.
