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White matter microstructure changes across the lifespan: a meta-analysis of longitudinal diffusion MRI studies
Karis Colyer-Patel1,2, Jalmar Teeuw1,3, Vivien Maes3
1University Medical Center Utrecht, UMC Brain Center, Department of Psychiatry, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|September 2, 2025
Summary
White matter integrity, measured by fractional anisotropy (FA), increases in youth and declines in midlife. Genetic factors influence these white matter changes over a lifetime.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Human Development
- Genetics
Background:
- White matter facilitates brain communication.
- Fractional anisotropy (FA) from diffusion MRI quantifies white matter microstructure.
- FA is linked to neural efficiency, motor, and cognitive functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review longitudinal changes in white matter FA across the lifespan.
- To investigate genetic influences on the rate of FA change over time.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of Medline, PsycInfo, and EMBASE.
- Included studies measuring FA longitudinally across the lifespan.
- Meta-regression analysis to model age-related FA changes.
Main Results:
- FA increased through childhood and adolescence, stabilized in early adulthood (20-35).
- FA significantly declined from age 36-50, plateaued (51-61), then decreased slower until 77.
- Heritability influenced local FA change during development; genes like APOE, HTT, MAPT were linked to FA decline in aging.
Conclusions:
- White matter microstructure changes throughout life, with distinct developmental and aging trajectories.
- Emerging evidence suggests genetic factors shape individual white matter change over time.
