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Cited by 18Dementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchAlzheimer's disease research and treatmentsAdvanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications

Brain mechanical properties predict longitudinal cognitive change in aging and Alzheimer’s disease

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Pavuluri, KowsalyaDevi, Huston, John, Ehman, Richard L., Manduca, Armando, Vemuri, Prashanthi, Jack, Clifford R., Senjem, Matthew L., Murphy, Matthew C.·2025·Neurobiology of Aging
DOI 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2025.01.001PMC PMC11833753
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Abstract

Age-related cognitive decline is a complex phenomenon that is influenced by various neurobiological processes at the molecular, cellular, and tissue levels. The extent of this decline varies between individuals and the underlying determinants of these differences are not fully understood. Two of the most prominent signs of cognitive decline in aging are the deterioration of episodic memory, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and the nearly always accompanying atrophy of the medial temporal lobe. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have consistently demonstrated the strong relationship between these two, however, recent advanced imaging techniques have shown promise for predicting cognitive decline earlier than atrophy measures. In this study, we investigate the value of brain biomechanical properties, specifically in the medial temporal lobe, for predicting global cognitive decline along the normal aging and AD spectrum. Our results indicate that the medial temporal stiffness significantly predicts future cognitive decline beyond that achieved by measures of atrophy and amyloidosis. Measures of brain biomechanical properties may provide valuable prognostic information to enable more efficient study design and evaluation of potential interventions.

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  • Altered mechanical properties have been associated with cognitive decline and occurrence of neurodegenerative diseases.

    “Altered mechanical properties have also been associated with cognitive decline and occurrence of neurodegenerative diseases (Pavuluri et al., 2025; Schwarb et al., 2016).”

    From 40 Years of diffusion MRI in the brain: From history to emerging frontiers (2026) · cites this paper as Pavuluri et al., 2025

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Pavuluri, K., Huston, J., Ehman, R. L., Manduca, A., Vemuri, P., Jack, C. R., Senjem, M. L., & Murphy, M. C.
Affiliations
Mayo Clinic (US)
Corresponding author
Pavuluri, KowsalyaDevi
ORCID
Venue
Neurobiology of Aging
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2025-03
Volume
147
Pages
203-212
ISSN
0197-4580 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2025.01.001
PMC
PMC11833753
OpenAlex
W4406166009
Cited by
18
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 3
FWCI
12.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Neurobiology of Aging (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute on Aging (U01 NS100620, R01 AG076636, U01 AG006786, P30 AG062677)
  • Mayo Clinic
  • National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (R01 EB027064, R37 EB001981)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
Keywords
brain biomechanics, brain stiffness, medial temporal lobe, cognitive decline, Alzheimer's disease, normal aging, medial temporal lobe atrophy, amyloidosis, episodic memory, longitudinal cognitive change, prognostic factors
MeSH terms
Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Alzheimer Disease, Atrophy, Biomechanical Phenomena, Brain, Cognition, Cognition Disorders, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Predictive Value of Tests, Temporal Lobe, Cognitive Dysfunction, Memory, Episodic

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