Cortical neurite microstructural correlates of time perception in healthy older adults

The human experience is significantly impacted by timing as it structures how information is processed. Nevertheless, the neurological foundation of time perception remains largely unresolved. Understanding cortical microstructure related to timing is crucial for gaining insight into healthy aging and recognizing structural alterations that are typical of neurodegenerative diseases associated with age. Given the importance, this study aimed to determine the brain regions that are accountable for predicting time perception in older adults using microstructural measures of the brain. In this study, elderly healthy adults performed the Time-Wall Estimation task to measure time perception through average error time. We used support vector regression (SVR) analyses to predict the average error time using cortical neurite microstructures derived from orientation dispersion and density imaging based on multi-shell diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI). We found significant correlations between observed and predicted average error times for neurite arborization (ODI) and free water (FISO). Neurite arborization and free water properties in specific regions in the medial and lateral prefrontal, superior parietal, and medial and lateral temporal lobes were among the most significant predictors of timing ability in older adults. Further, our results revealed that greater branching along with lower free water in cortical structures result in shorter average error times. Future studies should assess whether these same networks are contributing to time perception in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and whether degeneration of these networks contribute to early diagnosis or detection of dementia.