Temporal and Spatial Scales of Human Resting-State Cortical Activity across the Lifespan

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Human Lifespan Development
• Brain Imaging

Background:

• Sensorimotor and cognitive functions change significantly across the human lifespan.
• Understanding alterations in cortical network functional properties during aging and development is crucial.
• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) provides insights into neural activity dynamics and network topology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify and compare temporal and spatial scales of resting-state fMRI signals across the human lifespan.
• To investigate the relationship between these scales and cortical myelination.
• To explore age-related changes in brain activity patterns.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of resting-state fMRI data from 2,352 individuals aged 5 to 100.
• Quantification of temporal and spatial scales of fMRI signals.
• Correlation analysis with cortical myelination data.

Main Results:

• Both temporal and spatial scales generally decreased with age across most cortical regions.
• The visual cortex exhibited the largest scales, while the limbic network showed the smallest.
• Some prefrontal regions displayed non-monotonic scale changes, peaking in adolescence.
• Cortical myelination increased monotonically with age and correlated with scale changes.

Conclusions:

• Temporal and spatial scales of cortical activity, measured by fMRI, are closely coordinated with cortical myelination throughout development and aging.
• These findings suggest a co-regulation of brain activity dynamics and myelination across the lifespan.
• Age-related changes in brain network function are influenced by myelination dynamics.