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Cerebral white matter myelination is associated with longitudinal changes in processing speed across the adult

Zhaoyuan Gong1, Murat Bilgel2, Yang An2

  • 1Magnetic Resonance Physics of Aging and Dementia Unit, Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.

Brain Communications
|December 19, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Higher myelin water fraction, a measure of myelin content, is linked to better maintained processing speed in aging adults. This finding suggests myelin is crucial for cognitive function and may serve as a biomarker for age-related cognitive decline.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Radiology
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Myelin is essential for efficient neural conduction, and its decline impacts cognitive processing speed during aging.
  • Understanding the relationship between myelin integrity and cognitive function is critical for addressing age-related cognitive decline.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between myelin content, measured by myelin water fraction (MWF), and longitudinal changes in processing speed.
  • To identify specific white matter regions where myelin integrity is most closely related to processing speed preservation.

Main Methods:

  • Quantified myelin content using advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) myelin water fraction mapping.
  • Analyzed data from 121 cognitively unimpaired participants (aged 22-94) from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging and the Genetic and Epigenetic Signatures of Translational Aging Laboratory Testing.
  • Employed linear mixed-effects models to examine the relationship between MWF and retrospective longitudinal processing speed changes, adjusting for demographics.

Main Results:

  • Higher myelin water fraction values significantly correlated with better-maintained processing speed over time.
  • Significant associations were observed in several specific white matter regions, detailed by voxel-wise analysis.
  • These findings highlight the importance of myelin integrity in preserving cognitive processing speed.

Conclusions:

  • Myelin plays a pivotal role in maintaining processing speed throughout the aging process.
  • Myelin water fraction shows potential as a sensitive biomarker for interventions aimed at mitigating age-related cognitive decline.
  • This research provides a foundation for developing preventative strategies for neurological health in aging populations.
Keywords:
cognitive declinemicrostructuremyelin water fractionwhite matter integrity

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