White matter aging and its impact on brain function
Open accessAbstract
Aging has a detrimental impact on white matter, resulting in reduced volume, compromised structural integrity of myelinated axons, and an increase in white matter hyperintensities. These changes are closely linked to cognitive decline and neurological disabilities. The deterioration of myelin and its diminished ability to regenerate as we age further contribute to the progression of neurodegenerative disorders. Understanding these changes is crucial for devising effective disease prevention strategies. Here, we will discuss the structural alterations in white matter that occur with aging and examine the cellular and molecular mechanisms driving these aging-related transformations. We highlight how the progressive disruption of white matter may initiate a self-perpetuating cycle of inflammation and neural damage.
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The white matter is selectively vulnerable to the aging process.
“The white matter is selectively vulnerable to the aging process,91,92”
From Uncovering the signatures of aging and senescence in the human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (2026) · cites this paper as [92]
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Uncovering the signatures of aging and senescence in the human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
Sloan, N. X., Mares, J., Daly, A. C., Grier, S., Haq, I., Jackson, C. A., Barretto, N., Casel, O., Kang, K., Khiste, S., et al. (2026) · Cell Genomics · doi:10.1016/j.xgen.2025.101127 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
- Authors
- Groh, J., & Simons, M.
- Affiliations
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Groh, Janos
- Simons, Mikael
- Venue
- Neuron
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2025-01
- Volume
- 113
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 127-139
- ISSN
- 0896-6273 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4404304842
- Cited by
- 124
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 79 · 2025: 44 · 2024: 1
- FWCI
- 8.54
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Neuron (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Open access LMU (Ludwid Maxmilian's Universitat Munchen) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DZNE Pub (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- mediaTUM (Technical University of Munich) (submittedVersion)
- GoeScholar The Publication Server of the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Technical University of Munich
- Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Medical Research Foundation
- European Research Council
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (408885537 -TRR 274, EXC2145, ID390857198)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Cerebrovascular and genetic disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Keywords
- white matter aging, myelin degeneration, white matter hyperintensities, cognitive decline, neurodegenerative diseases, remyelination, neuroinflammation, brain aging
- MeSH terms
- Aging, Animals, Brain, Humans, Myelin Sheath, White Matter
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