Cognitive Predictors of Cortical Thickness in Healthy Aging

2018 ◽  
pp. 51-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrycja Naumczyk ◽  
Angelika K. Sawicka ◽  
Beata Brzeska ◽  
Agnieszka Sabisz ◽  
Krzysztof Jodzio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Cognitive Predictors

scholarly journals Cognition in healthy aging is related to regional white matter integrity, but not cortical thickness

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (11) ◽  
pp. 1912-1926 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Ziegler ◽  
Olivier Piguet ◽  
David H. Salat ◽  
Keyma Prince ◽  
Emily Connally ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
White Matter Integrity

scholarly journals Independent morphological variables correlate with Aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer's Disease

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Hansen Pacheco de Moraes ◽  
Felipe Sudo ◽  
Marina Monteiro Carneiro ◽  
Bruno R. P. de Melo ◽  
Paulo Mattos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Brain Morphology ◽  
Elderly Subjects ◽  
Csf Biomarkers ◽  
Morphological Criteria

This manuscript presents a study with recruited volunteers that comprehends three sorts of events present in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) evolution (structural, biochemical, and cognitive) to propose an update in neurodegeneration biomarkers for AD. The novel variables, K, I, and S, suggested based on physics properties and empirical evidence, are defined by power-law relations between cortical thickness, exposed and total area, and natural descriptors of brain morphology. Our central hypothesis is that variable K, almost constant in healthy human subjects, is a better discriminator of a diseased brain than the current morphological biomarker, Cortical Thickness, due to its aggregated information. We extracted morphological features from 3T MRI T1w images of 123 elderly subjects: 77 Healthy Cognitive Unimpaired Controls (CTL), 33 Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients, and 13 Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patients. Moreover, Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) biomarkers and clinical data scores were correlated with K, intending to characterize health and disease in the cortex with morphological criteria and cognitive-behavioral profiles. K distinguishes Alzheimer's Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Healthy Cognitive Unimpaired Controls globally and locally with reasonable accuracy (CTL-AD, 0.82; CTL-MCI, 0.58). Correlations were found between global and local K associated with clinical behavioral data (executive function and memory assessments) and CSF biomarkers (t-Tau, Aβ-40, and Aβ-42). The results suggest that the cortical folding component, K, is a premature discriminator of healthy aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer's Disease, with significant differences within diagnostics. Despite the non-concomitant events, we found correlations between brain structural degeneration (K), cognitive tasks, and biochemical markers.

Problem-solving abilities and frontal lobe cortical thickness in healthy aging and mild cognitive impairment

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 836-845 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. SÁNCHEZ-BENAVIDES ◽  
B. GÓMEZ-ANSÓN ◽  
M. QUINTANA ◽  
Y. VIVES ◽  
R.M. MANERO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Frontal Lobe ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Cortical Atrophy ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Left Frontal Lobe ◽  
Transitional State

AbstractMild cognitive impairment (MCI) is considered a transitional state between normal aging and Alzheimer disease. Most MCI subjects present disturbances in multiple neuropsychological domains, including executive function. This study aimed at exploring frontal lobe cortical thinning in MCI and healthy controls, and its relationship with problem-solving abilities. Twenty-three MCI patients and 30 elderly controls underwent MRI and neuropsychological assessment. Cortical thickness was measured by means of FreeSurfer. Problem-solving was assessed by means of the Tower of London (TOL) task. MCI showed a global thinning of the cortex. With regard to specific regions of interest, a thinning in the left frontal lobe and the bilateral posterior cingulate gyri was found. Partial correlations, after controlling for age, education, Mini-Mental Status Examination, and non-frontal mean thickness revealed negative significant correlations between frontal lobe thickness and executive outcomes in the control group. This counterintuitive relationship was not observed in the MCI group, suggesting that the frontal cortical atrophy observed in MCI entails a specific pathology-related relationship with high-level executive outcomes that is qualitatively different from that observed in healthy aging. (JINS, 2010, 16, 836–845.)

scholarly journals Occupation-related effects on motor cortex thickness among older, cognitive healthy individuals

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukas Lenhart ◽  
Melanie Nagele ◽  
Ruth Steiger ◽  
Vincent Beliveau ◽  
Elisabeth Skalla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Functional Independence ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
Healthy Individuals ◽  
Postcentral Gyrus ◽  
Standard Classification

AbstractBoth, decline of sensorimotor functions and cortical thickness are known processes in healthy aging. Physical activity has been suggested to enhance the execution of daily routine activities and to extend the time of functional independence in advanced age. We hypothesized that cortical thickness of motor areas in retired individuals could be related to physical demands of the profession carried out during working life. Depending on their former occupations, 69 cognitively healthy individuals (range 70–85 years) were divided into higher and lower physically complex occupations (HPCO n = 27 and LPCO n = 42) according to the international standard classification of occupations (ISCO-08). Participants underwent a high-resolution 3T T1-weighted MRI scan. Surface-based analysis revealed higher cortical thickness in the left precentral (P = 0.001) and postcentral gyrus (P < 0.001) and right postcentral gyrus (P = 0.001) for the HPCO relative to the LPCO group (corrected for multiple comparisons, sex, age and leisure activities in the past 20 years). Physical leisure activities associated with exertion were positively correlated with cortical thickness in the left pre- and postcentral gyrus (P = 0.037) of the LPCO group. Time since retirement was negatively associated with cortical thickness in the left postcentral gyrus (P = 0.004) of the HPCO group. Executing a higher physically complex occupation before retirement was related to relative higher cortical thickness in the primary motor and somatosensory cortex in later life, supporting the hypothesis that physical activity contributes to neural reserve in these regions. However, these benefits appear to vanish when physical activity is reduced due to retirement.

scholarly journals Generalizing Longitudinal Age Effects on Brain Structure – A Two-Study Comparison Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiane Jockwitz ◽  
Susan Mérillat ◽  
Franziskus Liem ◽  
Jessica Oschwald ◽  
Katrin Amunts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Sample Characteristics

Cross-sectional studies indicate that normal aging is accompanied by decreases in brain structure. Longitudinal studies, however, are relatively rare and inconsistent regarding their outcomes. Particularly the heterogeneity of methods, sample characteristics and the high inter-individual variability in older adults prevent the deduction of general trends. Therefore, the current study aimed to compare longitudinal age-related changes in brain structure (measured through cortical thickness) in two large independent samples of healthy older adults (n = 161 each); the Longitudinal Healthy Aging Brain (LHAB) database project at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and 1000BRAINS at the Research Center Juelich, Germany. Annual percentage changes in the two samples revealed stable to slight decreases in cortical thickness over time. After correction for major covariates, i.e., baseline age, sex, education, and image quality, sample differences were only marginally present. Results suggest that general trends across time might be generalizable over independent samples, assuming the same methodology is used, and similar sample characteristics are present.

scholarly journals Cortical Thickness and Resting State Cardiac Function Across the Lifespan: A Cross-Sectional Pooled Mega Analysis

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Koenig ◽  
Birgit Abler ◽  
Ingrid Agartz ◽  
Torbjörn Åkerstedt ◽  
Ole A. Andreassen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Brain Morphology ◽  
Aging Effects ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Adult Lifespan ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Small Sample Sizes

Understanding the association between autonomic nervous system [ANS] function and brain morphology across the lifespan provides important insights into neurovisceral mechanisms underlying health and disease. Resting state ANS activity, indexed by measures of heart rate [HR] and its variability [HRV] has been associated with brain morphology, particularly cortical thickness [CT]. While findings have been mixed regarding the anatomical distribution and direction of the associations, these inconsistencies may be due to sex and age differences in HR/HRV and CT. Previous studies have been limited by small sample sizes, which impede the assessment of sex differences and aging effects on the association between ANS function and CT. To overcome these limitations, 20 groups worldwide contributed data collected under similar protocols of CT assessment and HR/HRV recording to be pooled in a mega-analysis (N = 1,218 (50.5% female), mean age 36.7 years (range: 12-87)). Findings suggest that the decline in HRV with increasing age is related to a decline in prefrontal CT, particularly in the orbitofrontal cortex. These effects were independent of sex and specific to HRV; with no significant association between CT and HR. Greater CT across the adult lifespan may be vital for the maintenance of healthy cardiac regulation via the ANS. Nonetheless, in the absence of longitudinal data, alternative explanations need to be considered. Findings reveal an important association between cortical thickness and cardiac parasympathetic activity with implications for healthy aging and longevity.

scholarly journals Cortical Thickness and Surface Area Networks in Healthy Aging, Alzheimer’s Disease and Behavioral Variant Fronto-Temporal Dementia

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (06) ◽  
pp. 1850055 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vesna Vuksanović ◽  
Roger T Staff ◽  
Trevor Ahearn ◽  
Alison D Murray ◽  
Claude M Wischik
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Elderly Subjects ◽  
Modular Organization ◽  
Area Network

Models of the human brain as a complex network of inter-connected sub-units are important in helping to understand the structural basis of the clinical features of neurodegenerative disorders. The aim of this study was to characterize in a systematic manner the differences in the structural correlation networks in cortical thickness (CT) and surface area (SA) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and behavioral variant Fronto-Temporal Dementia (bvFTD). We have used the baseline magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data available from a large population of patients from three clinical trials in mild to moderate AD and mild bvFTD and compared this to a well-characterized healthy aging cohort. The study population comprised 202 healthy elderly subjects, 213 with bvFTD and 213 with AD. We report that both CT and SA network architecture can be described in terms of highly correlated networks whose positive and inverse links map onto the intrinsic modular organization of the four cortical lobes. The topology of the disturbance in structural network is different in the two disease conditions, and both are different from normal aging. The changes from normal are global in character and are not restricted to fronto-temporal and temporo-parietal lobes, respectively, in bvFTD and AD, and indicate an increase in both global correlational strength and in particular nonhomologous inter-lobar connectivity defined by inverse correlations. These inverse correlations appear to be adaptive in character, reflecting coordinated increases in CT and SA that may compensate for corresponding impairment in functionally linked nodes. The effects were more pronounced in the cortical thickness atrophy network in bvFTD and in the surface area network in AD. Although lobar modularity is preserved in the context of neurodegenerative disease, the hub-like organization of networks differs both from normal and between the two forms of dementia. This implies that hubs may be secondary features of the connectivity adaptation to neurodegeneration and may not be an intrinsic property of the brain. However, analysis of the topological differences in hub-like organization CT and SA networks, and their underlying positive and negative correlations, may provide a basis for assisting in the differential diagnosis of bvFTD and AD.

scholarly journals Cortical thickness in right frontal and left lingual gyri differentially mediate episodic memory for spatial contextual details across the adult lifespan

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Swierkot ◽  
M. N. Rajah
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Spatial Context ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Adult Lifespan ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Context Memory

AbstractHealthy aging is associated with declines in episodic memory and with widespread cortical thinning. These parallel declines suggest that age-related changes in cortical thickness may contribute to episodic memory decline with age. The current study uses a cross-sectional study design to examine whether regional cortical thickness mediates the relationship between age and episodic memory, as measured by a context memory task for faces. Mediation and conditional mediation models were tested using bootstrapping in order to determine how age-associated changes in regional cortical thickness mediated age-associated changes in performance on the context memory task. We observed that right superior frontal cortical thickness conditionally mediated spatial context memory only in middle-aged and older adults; and right caudal middle frontal cortical thickness conditionally mediated context memory only in older adults. Left lingual cortical thickness mediated spatial context memory across the adult lifespan, but this effect was most evident at midlife. Right parahippocampal cortical thickness mediated context memory, independent of age. We conclude that our cortical thickness results were generally consistent with the posterior-to-anterior shift in aging hypothesis (Davis et al., 2008) for episodic memory.

Cognitive predictors of young children's readiness for powered mobility

1999 ◽  
Vol 41 (10) ◽  
pp. 665-670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donita Tefft ◽  
Paula Guerette ◽  
Jan Furumasu
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Predictors

Longitudinal Changes in Individual BrainAGE in Healthy Aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer’s Disease

GeroPsych ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 235-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katja Franke ◽  
Christian Gaser
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Brain Aging ◽  
Elderly Subjects ◽  
Additional Increase ◽  
Longitudinal Changes ◽  
Novel Method ◽  
The Brain

We recently proposed a novel method that aggregates the multidimensional aging pattern across the brain to a single value. This method proved to provide stable and reliable estimates of brain aging – even across different scanners. While investigating longitudinal changes in BrainAGE in about 400 elderly subjects, we discovered that patients with Alzheimer’s disease and subjects who had converted to AD within 3 years showed accelerated brain atrophy by +6 years at baseline. An additional increase in BrainAGE accumulated to a score of about +9 years during follow-up. Accelerated brain aging was related to prospective cognitive decline and disease severity. In conclusion, the BrainAGE framework indicates discrepancies in brain aging and could thus serve as an indicator for cognitive functioning in the future.

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