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Cited by 292Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and ApplicationsAdvanced MRI Techniques and ApplicationsFunctional Brain Connectivity Studies

Widespread age-related differences in the human brain microstructure revealed by quantitative magnetic resonance imaging

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Callaghan, Martina F., Freund, Patrick, Draganski, Bogdan, Anderson, Elaine, Cappelletti, Marinella, Chowdhury, Rumana, Diedrichsen, Joern, FitzGerald, Thomas H.B. +4 more·2014·Neurobiology of Aging
DOI 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2014.02.008PMC PMC4024196
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Abstract

A pressing need exists to disentangle age-related changes from pathologic neurodegeneration. This study aims to characterize the spatial pattern and age-related differences of biologically relevant measures in vivo over the course of normal aging. Quantitative multiparameter maps that provide neuroimaging biomarkers for myelination and iron levels, parameters sensitive to aging, were acquired from 138 healthy volunteers (age range: 19-75 years). Whole-brain voxel-wise analysis revealed a global pattern of age-related degeneration. Significant demyelination occurred principally in the white matter. The observed age-related differences in myelination were anatomically specific. In line with invasive histologic reports, higher age-related differences were seen in the genu of the corpus callosum than the splenium. Iron levels were significantly increased in the basal ganglia, red nucleus, and extensive cortical regions but decreased along the superior occipitofrontal fascicle and optic radiation. This whole-brain pattern of age-associated microstructural differences in the asymptomatic population provides insight into the neurobiology of aging. The results help build a quantitative baseline from which to examine and draw a dividing line between healthy aging and pathologic neurodegeneration.

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  • Multiple myelin markers can provide complementary information.

    “many studies have already found that multiple myelin markers can provide complementary information (Callaghan, Freund, Draganski, Anderson, Cappelletti, Chowdhury, Diedrichsen, Fitzgerald, Smittenaar, Helms, Lutti, Weiskopf, 2014, Eichert et al., 2020, Kolind, Laule, Vavasour, Li, Traboulsee, Mädler, Moore, Mackay, 2008, Lipp, Jones, Bells, Sgarlata, Foster, Stickland, Davidson, Tallantyre, Rober”

    From Can MRI measure myelin? Systematic review, qualitative assessment, and meta-analysis of studies validating microstructural imaging with myelin histology (2021) · cites this paper as Callaghan, Freund, Draganski, Anderson, Cappelletti, Chowdhury, Diedrichsen, Fitzgerald, Smittenaar, Helms, Lutti, Weiskopf, 2014

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References 78 · Cited by 292

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Authors
Callaghan, M. F., Freund, P., Draganski, B., Anderson, E., Cappelletti, M., Chowdhury, R., Diedrichsen, J., FitzGerald, T. H. B., Smittenaar, P., Helms, G., Lutti, A., & Weiskopf, N.
Affiliations
  • Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging (GB)
  • Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CH)
  • University of London (GB)
  • University of Göttingen (DE)
Corresponding author
Callaghan, Martina F.
ORCID
Venue
Neurobiology of Aging
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2014-08
Volume
35
Issue
8
Pages
1862-1872
ISSN
0197-4580 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2014.02.008
PMC
PMC4024196
OpenAlex
W2066517499
Cited by
292
References
78
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 29 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 26 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 4
FWCI
18.78
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Neurobiology of Aging (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • SERVAL (Université de Lausanne) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • Goldsmiths (University of London) (acceptedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • IRIS (submittedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • GoeScholar The Publication Server of the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Lund University Publications (Lund University) (submittedVersion)
  • MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • UEA Digital Repository (University of East Anglia) (submittedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich)
Funders
  • Swiss National Science Foundation (320030_135679, SPUM 33CM30_140332/1)
  • NCCR Synapsy
  • Foundation Parkinson Switzerland
  • Foundation Synapsis
  • Novartis Foundation for medical–biological research
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Kfo 247)
  • Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship and Project Grant
  • Wellcome Trust (091593/Z/10/Z)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced MRI Techniques and Applications
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
Keywords
brain aging, white matter microstructure, demyelination, myelination, iron levels, corpus callosum, basal ganglia, neuroimaging biomarkers, quantitative MRI
MeSH terms
Adult, Aged, Aging, Brain, Female, Humans, Iron, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Neuroaxonal Dystrophies, Iron Metabolism Disorders, Young Adult, Neuroimaging

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