Age-related decline in white matter tract integrity and cognitive performance: A DTI tractography and structural equation modeling study

NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING

卷:33

Article

Voineskos, Aristotle N.^1,2  Rajji, Tarek K.¹  Lobaugh, Nancy J.³  Miranda, Dielle¹  Shenton, Martha E.^4,5  Kennedy, James L.²  Pollock, Bruce G.^1,6  Mulsant, Benoit H.¹ 

[1] Univ Toronto, Geriatr Mental Hlth Program, Ctr Addict & Mental Hlth, Dept Psychiat, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada

[2] Univ Toronto, Dept Neurosci, Ctr Addict & Mental Hlth, Dept Psychiat, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada

[3] Univ Toronto, Sunnybrook Hlth Sci Ctr, Dept Med, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada

[4] Harvard Univ, Brigham & Womens Hosp, Psychiat Neuroimaging Lab, Dept Psychiat,Med Sch, Boston, MA 02115 USA

[5] Harvard Univ, VA Boston Healthcare Syst, Brockton Div, Sch Med, Brockton, MA 02401 USA

[6] Univ Toronto, Rotman Res Inst, Baycrest Hosp, Dept Psychiat, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada

关键词: Aging;    Anisotropy;    Cognition;    Diffusion tensor imaging;    White matter;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2010.02.009

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Age-related decline in microstructural integrity of certain white matter tracts may explain cognitive decline associated with normal aging. Whole brain tractography and a clustering segmentation in 48 healthy individuals across the adult lifespan were used to examine: interhemispheric (corpus callosum), intrahemispheric association (cingulum, uncinate, arcuate, inferior longitudinal, inferior occipitofrontal), and projection (corticospinal) fibers. Principal components analysis reduced cognitive tests into 6 meaningful factors: (1) memory and executive function; (2) visuomotor dexterity; (3) motor speed; (4) attention and working memory; (5) set-shifting/ flexibility; and (6) visuospatial construction. Using theory-based structural equation modeling, relationships among age, white matter tract integrity, and cognitive performance were investigated. Parsimonious model fit demonstrated relationships where decline in white matter integrity may explain age-related decline in cognitive performance: inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) with visuomotor dexterity; the inferior occipitofrontal fasciculus with visuospatial construction; and posterior fibers (i. e., splenium) of the corpus callosum with memory and executive function. Our findings suggest that decline in the microstructural integrity of white matter fibers can account for cognitive decline in normal aging. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

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