Cited by 564Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and ApplicationsDementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchCerebrovascular and genetic disorders

Aging of cerebral white matter: a review of MRI findings

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Gunning‐Dixon, Faith M., Brickman, Adam M., Cheng, Janice C., Alexopoulos, George S.·2009·International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cerebral aging is a complex and heterogeneous process that is associated with a high degree of inter-individual variability. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to identify and quantify non-disease-related aging of the cerebral white matter. METHODS: The present article reviews the findings from several MRI techniques, including morphometric approaches, study of white matter hyperintensities, diffusion tensor imaging, and magnetization transfer imaging, that have been used to examine aging of the cerebral white matter. Furthermore, the relationship of MRI indices of white matter integrity to age-related cognitive declines is reported. RESULTS: A general pattern of age-related preservation and decline emerges indicating that the prefrontal white matter is most susceptible to the influence of age. Studies that combine MRI with cognitive measures suggest that such age-related reductions in white matter integrity may produce a disconnection state that underlies some of the age-related performance declines in age-sensitive cognitive domains. CONCLUSIONS: White matter aging may contribute to a disconnection state that is associated with declines in episodic memory, executive functions, and information processing speed.

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  • Previous MRI studies in humans have revealed that prefrontal white matter is highly susceptible to age-related reduction in volume.

    “Previous MRI studies in humans have revealed that prefrontal white matter is highly susceptible to age-related reduction in volume,49 and that the degree of white matter changes are associated with cognitive decline.50”

    From Molecular and spatial signatures of mouse brain aging at single-cell resolution (2023) · cites this paper as [49]

    The Macrostructural Aging section reports reduced prefrontal white matter volume in the oldest participants, but says white matter volumes were otherwise relatively stable. The Microstructure section describes prefrontal white matter as especially vulnerable to aging based on reductions in fractional anisotropy, not volume. Thus the claim conflates microstructural vulnerability with broadly age-related volume loss. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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Authors
Gunning‐Dixon, F. M., Brickman, A. M., Cheng, J. C., & Alexopoulos, G. S.
Affiliations
  • Cornell University (US)
  • Columbia University (US)
  • Weill Cornell Medicine (US)
Corresponding author
Gunning‐Dixon, Faith M.
Venue
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2008-07-21
Volume
24
Issue
2
Pages
109-117
ISSN
  • 0885-6230 (ISSN-L)
  • 1099-1166
OpenAlex
W1994947322
Cited by
564
References
93
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 43 · 2024: 46 · 2023: 30 · 2022: 30 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 43 · 2019: 42 · 2018: 37 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 37 · 2013: 30 · 2012: 27
FWCI
2.60
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute on Aging (R01AG034189, K23AG029949)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (P30MH068638, R01 MH65653, P30 MH68638, R01MH065653, K23MH074818)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Cerebrovascular and genetic disorders
Keywords
white matter integrity, white matter hyperintensities, diffusion tensor imaging, magnetization transfer imaging, age-related cognitive decline, prefrontal white matter, brain disconnection, episodic memory, executive function, processing speed
MeSH terms
Aging, Brain, Cognition, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Neuropsychological Tests, Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging

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