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Cited by 458Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and ApplicationsCognitive Abilities and TestingFunctional Brain Connectivity Studies

Assessing the effects of age on long white matter tracts using diffusion tensor tractography

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Davis, Simon W., Dennis, Nancy A., Buchler, Norbou G., White, Leonard E., Madden, David J., Cabeza, Roberto·2009·NeuroImage
DOI 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.01.068PMC PMC2775533
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Abstract

Aging is associated with significant white matter deterioration and this deterioration is assumed to be at least partly a consequence of myelin degeneration. The present study investigated specific predictions of the myelodegeneration hypothesis using diffusion tensor tractography. This technique has several advantages over other methods of assessing white matter architecture, including the possibility of isolating individual white matter tracts and measuring effects along the whole extent of each tract. The study yielded three main findings. First, age-related white matter deficits increased gradually from posterior to anterior segments within specific fiber tracts traversing frontal and parietal, but not temporal cortex. This pattern inverts the sequence of myelination during childhood and early development observed in previous studies and lends support to a "last-in-first-out" theory of the white matter health across the lifespan. Second, both the effects of aging on white matter and their impact on cognitive performance were stronger for radial diffusivity (RD) than for axial diffusivity (AD). Given that RD has previously been shown to be more sensitive to myelin integrity than AD, this second finding is also consistent with the myelodegeneration hypothesis. Finally, the effects of aging on select white matter tracts were associated with age difference in specific cognitive functions. Specifically, FA in anterior tracts was shown to be primarily associated with executive tasks and FA in posterior tracts mainly associated with visual memory tasks. Furthermore, these correlations were mirrored in RD, but not AD, suggesting that RD is more sensitive to age-related changes in cognition. Taken together, the results help to clarify how age-related white matter decline impairs cognitive performance.

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  • Across brain systems, prefrontal association tracts are the most vulnerable to aging, while cingulum, temporal and parietal-occipital commissural connections are relatively preserved.

    “revealing a typical spatial degeneration pattern across brain systems in which prefrontal association tracts are the most vulnerable to aging, while cingulum, temporal and parietal-occipital commissural connections are relatively preserved.”

    From Quantitative mapping of the brain’s structural connectivity using diffusion MRI tractography: A review (2022) · cites this paper as Davis et al., 2009

    The Discussion (Anterior-Posterior Gradient; page unavailable) ranks age-related FA differences highest in the genu and uncinate fasciculus and lowest in the cingulum bundle and splenium, supporting greater vulnerability of anterior tracts and relative preservation of some connections. But the same section reports appreciable effects in the inferior longitudinal fasciculus, including a stronger effect in its occipito-temporal segment; the Results (Anterior-posterior trend analysis; page unavailable) also find age effects in the cingulum. The claim overstates preservation across the named connections. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Bilingualism is linked to better preservation of white matter structures in normal aging.

    “This evidence suggests that bilingualism is associated with better maintenance of white matter structures in the course of normal aging [113].”

    From Bilingualism: consequences for mind and brain (2012) · cites this paper as [113]

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Authors
Davis, S. W., Dennis, N. A., Buchler, N. G., White, L. E., Madden, D. J., & Cabeza, R.
Affiliations
  • Duke University (US)
  • Duke Medical Center (US)
Corresponding author
Davis, Simon W.
ORCID
Venue
NeuroImage
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2009-06
Volume
46
Issue
2
Pages
530-541
ISSN
1053-8119 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.01.068
PMC
PMC2775533
OpenAlex
W1977845408
Cited by
458
References
13
Citations by year
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FWCI
25.19
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • NeuroImage (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (AG011622, AG19731)
  • National Institute on Aging (T32 AG000029)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
Keywords
brain aging, myelin integrity, radial diffusivity, axial diffusivity, fractional anisotropy, cognitive aging, executive function, visual memory, myelination, diffusion tensor tractography
MeSH terms
Adult, Aged, Aging, Brain, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Nerve Fibers, Myelinated, Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging

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