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Precision estimates of longitudinal brain aging capture unexpected individual differences in one year
Maxwell L Elliott1, Jingnan Du2, Jared A Nielsen3
1Department of Psychology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. maxwe128@umn.edu.
Nature Communications
|February 5, 2026
Summary
Cluster scanning precisely tracks individual brain aging over one year, revealing diverse aging patterns. This method enhances understanding of brain health variability in younger and older adults.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Human Brain Aging Research
Background:
- Longitudinal studies are crucial for understanding individual differences in human brain aging.
- Short-term longitudinal studies are often limited by significant measurement error, hindering precise tracking of brain changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and validate cluster scanning as a method to reduce measurement error in short-term longitudinal brain imaging.
- To assess the precision of individualized brain aging estimates using cluster scanning.
- To investigate individual variability in brain aging trajectories within one year.
Main Methods:
- Utilized cluster scanning, a technique involving densely repeated rapid structural MRI scans, to collect data at three timepoints within one year.
- Applied cluster scanning to assess brain aging in individuals across different age groups and cognitive statuses.
- Verified observed brain aging trajectories using independent within-individual test-retest data.
Main Results:
- Cluster scanning significantly improved the precision of individualized brain aging estimates, detecting previously undetectable differences.
- Observed expected differences in brain aging rates between younger and older individuals, and between cognitively unimpaired and impaired individuals.
- Identified variable brain aging patterns in cognitively unimpaired older adults, including relative brain maintenance, rapid decline, and asymmetrical changes.
Conclusions:
- Cluster scanning offers enhanced precision for tracking individual brain structural changes over short intervals.
- The method reveals significant heterogeneity in brain aging trajectories, even within one year.
- Cluster scanning holds promise for advancing the study of individual variability in brain aging and its underlying mechanisms.
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