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Published on: March 11, 2020
Aging affects glutamate-enriched functional networks in resting and movie-watching states
Zihao Zheng1, Yulin He1, Yulan Zhou1
1The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Brain-Apparatus Communication Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China; School of Life Science and Technology, Center for information in medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Aging affects brain connectivity, particularly the glutamate system. This study reveals how these changes impact cognitive function differently during rest versus movie watching, highlighting potential targets for cognitive health in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Aging
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Global population aging necessitates understanding cognitive decline.
- The glutamatergic system's role in aging brain function is critical.
- Metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5) involvement in aging is understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate age-related effects on mGluR5-enriched functional connectivity.
- Compare connectivity in resting and movie-watching states between younger and older adults.
- Examine the relationship between connectivity, aging, and cognitive function.
Main Methods:
- Utilized fMRI data from 198 younger and 155 older adults.
- Applied the Receptor-Enriched Analysis of Functional Connectivity by Targets (REACT) method.
- Compared glutamate-enriched functional connectivity in different states and age groups.
Main Results:
- Found state-dependent differences in glutamate-enriched functional connectivity, especially in cortical-thalamic pathways.
- Observed aging-associated relationships with cognitive function in these pathways, varying by state.
- Mediation analysis showed thalamic involvement in linking connectivity and fluid intelligence during rest.
Conclusions:
- Aging impacts glutamate-enriched functional connectivity in a state-dependent manner.
- Cortical-thalamic interactions are crucial in cognitive aging.
- Glutamatergic signaling presents a potential therapeutic target for cognitive preservation in aging.
