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Motor-cognitive aging: The role of motor cortex and its pathways
Jiaqi Wen1, Zifei Liang2, Chenyang Li2
1Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NY, NY 10016, USA; Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310009, Hangzhou, China.
Aging leads to brain changes affecting motor and cognitive function. The corticostriatal tract (CStrT) plays a key role, mediating decline linked to motor cortex (M1) atrophy.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Aging Research
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Motor and cognitive decline are characteristic of aging.
- Pyramidal neurons in the primary motor cortex (M1) form the corticospinal tract (CST) and corticostriatal tract (CStrT).
- The CStrT's role in aging is less understood than the CST's.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related changes in M1 structure and hemodynamics.
- To assess the microstructural integrity of the CST and CStrT with aging.
- To determine if CST and CStrT integrity mediate the link between M1 atrophy and functional decline.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of MRI data (T1/T2-weighted, ASL, diffusion MRI) from 339 healthy adults (36-90 years).
- Age-related trajectories of M1, CST, and CStrT were evaluated using along-tract analyses.
- Mediation analyses examined the relationship between M1 atrophy, tract integrity, and motor/cognitive performance.
Main Results:
- Aging M1 showed reduced volume, hemodynamics, and altered structure.
- The CST exhibited localized degeneration near M1, while the CStrT showed more widespread degeneration.
- CST and CStrT integrity mediated the association between M1 atrophy and both motor and cognitive decline.
Conclusions:
- Aging causes structural and functional degeneration in M1 and its pathways.
- The CStrT is identified as a crucial mediator linking M1 atrophy to motor and cognitive decline.
- Normative imaging markers of healthy aging may aid in early neurodegenerative disease detection.
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