Directed functional connectivity of the sensorimotor system in young and older individuals

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

Aging Neuroscience

Robert Jech¹  Ondrej Bezdicek¹  Rotem Dan²  Gadi Goelman³ 

[1] Department of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Charles University, Prague, Czechia;Department of Neurology, Ginges Center of Neurogenetics Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel;Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel;Department of Neurology, Ginges Center of Neurogenetics Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel;Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel;

关键词: aging;    functional connectivity;    multivariate analysis;    neuropsychological tests;    dedifferentiation;    the impaired GABA theory;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fnagi.2023.1222352

 received in 2023-05-14, accepted in 2023-09-19,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

IntroductionStudies in the sensorimotor system of older versus young individuals have shown alterations in functional connectivity and organization. Our objective was to explore the implications of these differences in terms of local organizations, and to identify processes that correlate with neuropsychological parameters.MethodsUsing a novel multivariate analysis method on resting-state functional MRI data obtained from 50 young and 31 older healthy individuals, we identified directed 4-node functional pathways within the sensorimotor system and examined their correlations with neuropsychological assessments.ResultsIn young individuals, the functional pathways were unidirectional, flowing from the primary motor and sensory cortices to higher motor and visual regions. In older individuals, the functional pathways were more complex. They originated either from the calcarine sulcus or the insula and passed through mutually coupled high-order motor areas before reaching the primary sensory and motor cortices. Additionally, the pathways in older individuals that resembled those found in young individuals exhibited a positive correlation with years of education.DiscussionThe flow pattern of young individuals suggests efficient and fast information transfer. In contrast, the mutual coupling of high-order motor regions in older individuals suggests an inefficient and slow transfer, a less segregated and a more integrated organization. The differences in the number of sensorimotor pathways and of their directionality suggests reduced efferent degenerated pathways and increased afferent compensated pathways. Furthermore, the positive effect of years of education may be associated with the Cognitive Reserve Hypothesis, implying that cognitive reserve could be maintained through specific information transfer pathways.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Goelman, Dan, Bezdicek and Jech.