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Brain volume preserved in healthy elderly through the eleventh decade
E A Mueller1, M M Moore, D C Kerr
1Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201, USA.
Neurology
|December 17, 1998
Summary
Healthy aging after 65 shows minimal brain volume loss over time. Cross-sectional differences in brain volume are likely due to constant aging rates, not accelerated loss in the oldest elderly.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging and aging research.
- Gerontology and cognitive health studies.
Background:
- Cross-sectional studies suggest significant brain volume loss with aging.
- Preclinical dementia may bias older groups in cross-sectional aging studies.
- Longitudinal studies offer a clearer view of aging effects on the brain, independent of dementia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify specific brain regions that decrease in volume over time in healthy, nondemented elderly individuals.
- To differentiate age-related brain volume changes from those associated with preclinical dementia.
Main Methods:
- Annual quantitative volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was conducted on 46 healthy subjects over 65.
- Subjects were categorized into young-old (mean age 70), middle-old (mean age 81), and oldest-old (mean age 87) groups.
- Rates of volume change were analyzed across various brain regions, including lobar and limbic-subcortical areas.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in absolute volumes of total brain, hemispheres, temporal lobe, and hippocampus were observed across age groups.
- The oldest-old group exhibited smaller volumes and larger subarachnoid spaces compared to younger groups.
- Crucially, no significant differences in the *rates* of volume change were found between the age groups.
Conclusions:
- Healthy aging in individuals over 65 is characterized by minimal brain volume loss over time.
- Observed cross-sectional brain volume differences likely represent small, consistent aging-related changes.
- The absence of accelerated volume loss in the oldest-old suggests that significant changes seen in cross-sectional studies may indicate preclinical dementia.