Differential aging of the brain: Patterns, cognitive correlates and modifiers
Open accessAbstract
Deciphering the secret of successful aging depends on understanding the patterns and biological underpinnings of cognitive and behavioral changes throughout adulthood. That task is inseparable from comprehending the workings of the brain, the physical substrate of behavior. In this review, we summarize the extant literature on age-related differences and changes in brain structure, including postmortem and noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies. Among the latter, we survey the evidence from volumetry, diffusion-tensor imaging, and evaluations of white matter hyperintensities (WMH). Further, we review the attempts to elucidate the mechanisms of age-related structural changes by measuring metabolic markers of aging through magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). We discuss the putative links between the pattern of brain aging and the pattern of cognitive decline and stability. We then present examples of activities and conditions (hypertension, hormone deficiency, aerobic fitness) that may influence the course of normal aging in a positive or negative fashion. Lastly, we speculate on several proposed mechanisms of differential brain aging, including neurotransmitter systems, stress and corticosteroids, microvascular changes, calcium homeostasis, and demyelination.
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Decreased cognitive performance begins around midlife from 45 years and increases with age due to structural and functional brain changes.
“The decreased cognitive performance begins around midlife from 45 years [173] and increases with age due to structural and functional changes in the brain (for instance, regional brain volumes and integrity of the white matter, reduction in the fluidity of brain membranes, and changes in lipid composition) [163,174,175,176].”
From Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment Strategies and Their Limitations. (2022) · cites this paper as [176]
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- Authors
- Raz, N., & Rodrigue, K. M.
- Affiliations
- Wayne State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Raz, Naftali
- Venue
- Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2006-01
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 730-748
- ISSN
- 0149-7634 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC6601348
- OpenAlex
- W2101800098
- Cited by
- 1,195
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2026: 51 · 2025: 45 · 2024: 56 · 2023: 44 · 2022: 64 · 2021: 61 · 2020: 72 · 2019: 74 · 2018: 70 · 2017: 64 · 2016: 72 · 2015: 80 · 2014: 77 · 2013: 62 · 2012: 65
- FWCI
- 5.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (submittedVersion)
- Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion)
- MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Max-Planck-Institut für Bildungsforschung
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute on Aging (R37AG011230, R00AG036848, R01AG011230, AG-11230)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
- Keywords
- cognitive decline, brain volumetry, diffusion tensor imaging, white matter hyperintensities, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, hypertension, hormone deficiency, cardiorespiratory fitness, microvascular changes, calcium homeostasis, demyelination, neurotransmitter systems, successful aging
- MeSH terms
- Age Factors, Aging, Animals, Brain, Brain Mapping, Cognition, Diagnostic Imaging, Humans, Neuropsychological Tests, Pattern Recognition, Physiological
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