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Cited by 265Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and ApplicationsCognitive Abilities and TestingAging and Gerontology Research

Cerebral White Matter Integrity Mediates Adult Age Differences in Cognitive Performance

Open access
Madden, David J., Spaniol, Julia, Costello, Matthew C., Bucur, Barbara, White, Leonard E., Cabeza, Roberto, Davis, Simon W., Dennis, Nancy A. +2 more·2008·Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
DOI 10.1162/jocn.2009.21047PMC PMC2676336
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Abstract

Previous research has established that age-related decline occurs in measures of cerebral white matter integrity, but the role of this decline in age-related cognitive changes is not clear. To conclude that white matter integrity has a mediating (causal) contribution, it is necessary to demonstrate that statistical control of the white matter–cognition relation reduces the magnitude of age–cognition relation. In this research, we tested the mediating role of white matter integrity, in the context of a task-switching paradigm involving word categorization. Participants were 20 healthy, community-dwelling older adults (60–85 years), and 20 younger adults (18–27 years). From diffusion tensor imaging tractography, we obtained fractional anisotropy (FA) as an index of white matter integrity in the genu and splenium of the corpus callosum and the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). Mean FA values exhibited age-related decline consistent with a decrease in white matter integrity. From a model of reaction time distributions, we obtained independent estimates of the decisional and nondecisional (perceptual–motor) components of task performance. Age-related decline was evident in both components. Critically, age differences in task performance were mediated by FA in two regions: the central portion of the genu, and splenium–parietal fibers in the right hemisphere. This relation held only for the decisional component and was not evident in the nondecisional component. This result is the first demonstration that the integrity of specific white matter tracts is a mediator of age-related changes in cognitive performance.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1162/jocn.2009.21047

Cites

64 of 64 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

0 of 79 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged

  • Findingown data

    Mean FA values showed age-related decline consistent with reduced white matter integrity.

    “Mean FA values exhibited age-related decline consistent with a decrease in white matter integrity.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Findingown data

    Age differences in task performance were mediated by FA in splenium-parietal fibers in the right hemisphere.

    “age differences in task performance were mediated by FA in two regions: the central portion of the genu, and splenium-parietal fibers in the right hemisphere.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Findingown data

    For the SLF, age-related decline in FA was greater anterior to the central sulcus than in the more posterior segment.

    “The second Age Group × Segment effect, for the SLF, occurred as the result of greater age-related decline in FA anterior to the central sulcus than in the more posterior segment of this tract.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Findingown data

    Older adults had a higher a parameter than younger adults.

    “The value of the a parameter was higher for older adults (M = 0.14; SD = 0.02) than for younger adults (M = 0.13; SD = 0.02), t(38) = 2.65, SE = 0.005, p < .01, indicating an age-related increase in cautiousness.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Findingown data

    There was a marginal age-related increase in radial diffusivity for the splenium-occipital region.

    “Significant age-related increases in radial diffusivity occurred for the genu, F(1, 38) = 19.15, p < .0001, and the SLF, F(1, 38) = 8.62, p < .01,with a similar though marginal effect in the splenium-occipital region F(1, 38) = 3.76, p < .06.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • May combine two claims. 23
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 1
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. 32

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Age-related decline was present in both the decisional and nondecisional components of task performance.

    “Age-related decline was evident in both components.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    The mediation relation held only for the decisional component and was not evident in the nondecisional component.

    “This relation held only for the decisional component and was not evident in the nondecisional component.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • The quote only partly states this claim.

    Findingown data

    Age differences in task performance were mediated by FA in the central portion of the genu.

    “age differences in task performance were mediated by FA in two regions: the central portion of the genu, and splenium-parietal fibers in the right hemisphere.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    ANOVA of mean RT yielded only a main effect of age group, F(1, 38) = 15.56, p < .001, reflecting an age-related increase in RT.

    “Analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the mean RT data, using age group as a between-subjects variable and task condition (switch, repeat) as a within-subjects variable, yielded only a main effect of age group, F(1, 38) = 15.56, p < .001, reflecting the age-related increase in RT.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    FA was related to a measure of the quality of decisional information and not to the perceptual-motor (nondecisional) component.

    “In addition, as discussed below, FA was related to a measure of the quality of decisional information and not to the perceptual-motor (nondecisional) component.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: Drift rate and nondecision time reflect the quality of information processing for individual decisions and rely on the integrity of task-relevant neural networks.

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    When used as sole predictors, there were significant components of variance in drift rate for age group, genu center, and splenium-parietal right.

    “The results, illustrated in Figure 6, indicate that when used as sole predictors, there were significant components of variance in drift rate for age group, β = −0.174, SE = 0.005, p < .01, genu center, β = 0.367, SE = 0.116, p < .01, and splenium-parietal right, β = 0.482, SE = 0.130, p < .001.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    When entered before age group, splenium-parietal right FA led to substantial attenuation in age-related variance, and age group did not remain significant as a predictor of drift rate.

    “When entered before age group, the splenium-parietal right FA variable led to a substantial attenuation in age-related variance, and age group did not remain significant as a predictor of drift rate.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    Each region exhibited a significant effect of segment.

    “Each region also exhibited a significant effect of segment.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    For accuracy, only the main effect of condition was significant, F(1, 38) = 44.90, p < .0001, reflecting higher accuracy for repeat than switch trials.

    “For accuracy, only the main effect of condition was significant, F(1, 38) = 44.90, p < .0001, reflecting the higher accuracy for repeat trials than for switch trials.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    The SLF had a Hemisphere × Segment interaction: lower mean FA for the anterior versus posterior segment was present in both hemispheres but greater for the left than the right hemisphere.

    “The SLF also exhibited a Hemisphere × Segment interaction, because the lower mean FA for the anterior segment, relative to the posterior segment, was present for both hemispheres but was greater for the left hemisphere (M difference in FA of 0.0179) than for the right hemisphere (M difference in FA of 0.0026).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    The age-related changes in FA were limited entirely to radial diffusivity and were not equally apparent in all three eigenvalues.

    “The analysis of axial and radial diffusivity suggested that the age-related changes in FA were not equally apparent in all three eigenvalues but were instead limited entirely to radial diffusivity (Figure 5).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Although age-related decline in FA for the SLF was greater anterior than posterior, the anterior SLF was not a significant mediator of age differences in performance.

    “In addition, although age-related decline in FA for the SLF was greater in the portion of this pathway anterior to the central sulcus than posterior to it, the anterior SLF was not a significant mediator of age differences in performance.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    The role of white matter integrity was specific to the decisional component of categorization; mediation was not associated with time required for nondecisional processes.

    “The role of white matter integrity, however, was specific to the decisional component of this categorization (e.g., retrieval of the requisite semantic information); mediation was not associated with time required for nondecisional processes.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: Drift rate and nondecision time reflect the quality of information processing for individual decisions and rely on the integrity of task-relevant neural networks.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisecitation

    Establishing mediation requires white matter integrity to account for significant variance in cognitive performance when age is included in the regression model.

    “and third, white matter integrity should account for significant variance in cognitive performance, when age is also included in the regression model.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Baron & Kenny, 1986 source

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  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisecitation

    When age-related variance in a dependent variable is substantially attenuated by an additional independent variable relative to age alone, the additional variable can be interpreted as a mediator.

    “When the amount of age-related variance in a dependent variable (e.g., cognition) is substantially attenuated by the presence of an additional independent variable (e.g., white matter integrity), relative to when age is the sole independent variable, then the additional variable can be interpreted as a mediator of the relation between age and the dependent variable”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Salthouse, 1992a

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    • cites Salthouse, Atkinson, & Berish, 2003 source

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    Premisecitation

    The Ratcliff model uses RT distributions of correct and incorrect responses to separate decisional and nondecisional components of performance.

    “This model uses the RT distributions of both correct and incorrect responses to separate the decisional and nondecisional components of performance.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Ratcliff, 1978 source

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    • cites Ratcliff, Spieler, & McKoon, 2000

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    • cites Wagenmakers, van der Maas, & Grasman, 2007

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  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Premisenone given

    Analyses of age differences in behavioral measures can be complicated by the overall increase in older adults' reaction time and by individual differences in speed versus accuracy emphasis.

    “Analyses of age differences in behavioral measures can be complicated by the overall increase in older adults’ reaction time (RT), as well as by individual differences in the relative emphasis on speed versus accuracy.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Task-switching effects are more pronounced for older adults than younger adults, although age effects are greater at the global than local level.

    “The effects of task switching are more pronounced for older adults than for younger adults (Meiran, Gotler, & Perlman, 2001; Verhaeghen & Cerella, 2002), although the age effects are greater at the global level (i.e., a mixed-task trial block relative to a single-task trial block) than at the local level (i.e., switch trials versus repeat trials).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Meiran, Gotler, & Perlman, 2001 source

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    • cites Verhaeghen & Cerella, 2002

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  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Neuroimaging studies of younger adults suggest task switching relies on a frontoparietal network activated during attention-demanding visual tasks.

    “Neuroimaging studies of younger adults suggest that task switching relies on a frontoparietal network that is activated during attention-demanding visual tasks”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Braver, Reynolds, & Donaldson, 2003 source

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    • cites Kimberg, Aguirre, & D’Esposito, 2000 source

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    • cites Sohn, Ursu, Anderson, Stenger, & Carter, 2000 source

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  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Task-switching performance is typically slower and less accurate on switch trials than repeat trials, reflecting reconfiguration factors.

    “Performance in this type of task is typically slower and less accurate when the categorization on the current trial switches from the previous trial, relative to when it repeats, reflecting many factors involved in reconfiguring the task set”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Meiran, Chorev, & Sapir, 2000

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    • cites Monsell, 2003 source

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    Premisecitation

    Establishing mediation requires age differences in the measure of white matter integrity.

    “second, age differences should exist in the measure of white matter integrity”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Baron & Kenny, 1986 source

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    Premisecitation

    A mediating relation exists when variance in cognitive performance attributable specifically to age is less in the third condition than in the first.

    “A mediating relation exists when the variance in cognitive performance attributable specifically to age is less in the third condition than in the first.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisecitation

    Establishing mediation requires age differences in the measure of cognitive performance.

    “First, age differences should exist in the measure of cognitive performance”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Baron & Kenny, 1986 source

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  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    DTI studies consistently show an age-related decline in fractional anisotropy during adulthood, indicating reduced white matter integrity.

    “Previous research has established that age-related decline occurs in measures of cerebral white matter integrity, but the role of this decline in age-related cognitive changes is not clear.”
    • Also stated in: § Abstract · hedged
      “The DTI results complement those of the volumetric studies and consistently indicate an age-related decline in FA during adulthood, suggesting a decline in white matter integrity.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Moseley, 2002 source

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    • cites Salat, Tuch, Greve et al., 2005

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    • cites Sullivan & Pfefferbaum, 2006

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    Premisecitation

    To conclude that white matter integrity has a mediating causal contribution, statistical control of the white matter-cognition relation must reduce the magnitude of the age-cognition relation.

    “To conclude that white matter integrity has a mediating (causal) contribution, it is necessary to demonstrate that statistical control of the white matter-cognition relation reduces the magnitude of age-cognition relation.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Baron & Kenny, 1986 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Age-related decline in cerebral white matter volume is evident, with a different trajectory than gray matter.

    “Age-related decline is also evident in cerebral white matter volume, although with a different trajectory.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Guttmann et al., 1998 source

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    • cites Salat, Kaye, & Janowsky, 1999

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  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Age-related decline in prefrontal FA is due almost entirely to increased radial diffusivity, implicating myelin-related changes rather than axon loss.

    “Analyses of the individual eigenvalues of the diffusion tensor suggest that the age-related decline in prefrontal FA is due almost entirely to increased radial diffusivity, that is, in λ2 and λ3”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Bhagat & Beaulieu, 2004

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    • cites Sullivan et al., 2006

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  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductown data

    Trials with no response or with RT less than 300 ms or greater than 2500 ms were eliminated, comprising less than 2% of trials within each age group.

    “We eliminated those cue-plus-target trials on which the participant either did not respond or responded with a RT < 300 ms or > 2500 ms (< 2% of trials within each age group).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

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    Study design and conductcitation

    Nondecision time was analyzed separately for switch and repeat trials because evidence indicates that task difficulty can influence the nondecision time parameter.

    “Although nondecision time should not, in theory, vary across different types of trials intermixed within a block, we analyzed nondecision time for switch and repeat trials separately because there is evidence that task difficulty can influence the nondecision time parameter (Spaniol, Madden, & Voss, 2006).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Spaniol, Madden, & Voss, 2006

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  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Previous DTI studies reported correlations between FA in these pathways and performance speed, but the role of FA as a mediator of age-related variance in performance had not been examined.

    “Previous DTI studies have reported correlations between FA in these pathways and performance speed (Bucur et al., in press; Madden et al., 2004; Schulte et al., 2005; Sullivan et al., 2001), but the role of FA as a mediator of age-related variance in performance not been examined.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Bucur et al., in press

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    • cites Madden et al., 2004 source

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    • cites Schulte et al., 2005 source

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  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    The genu and splenium serve as interhemispheric connection pathways for prefrontal cortex and occipitoparietal association cortex, respectively, whereas the SLF connects frontal and parietal lobes within each hemisphere.

    “The genu and splenium serve as interhemispheric connection pathways for prefrontal cortex and occipitoparietal association cortex, respectively, whereas the SLF is a set of pathways connecting the frontal and parietal lobes within each hemisphere”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Makris et al., 2005 source

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    • cites Schmahmann & Pandya, 2006

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    Interpretationreasoning

    In the word categorization task, drift rate would reflect retrieval of semantic information associated with the categorization response, independent of perceptual-motor speed.

    “In our word categorization task, for example, drift rate would reflect the retrieval of semantic information associated with the categorization response, independent of perceptual-motor speed.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Study design and conductown data

    Review of T2-weighted structural images by a neuroradiologist indicated that all participants were within normal limits for abnormalities related to atrophy, ventricular dilation, and white matter hyperintensities.

    “Review of each participant’s T2-weighted structural images by a neuroradiologist (one of the authors, J.M.P.) indicated that all were within normal limits with regard to abnormalities related to atrophy, ventricular dilation, and the presence of white matter hyperintensities.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

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    Study design and conductnone given

    Four trained operators, blind to participant age, drew target, source, and exclusion regions.

    “Four trained operators, blind to participant age, used ITK-SNAP software (http://www.itksnap.org/; Yushkevich et al., 2006) to draw target, source, and exclusion regions on the axial slices of each participant’s SPGR image.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Yushkevich et al., 2006 source

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    Premisecitation

    White matter integrity of the splenium has exhibited correlations with speed-dependent measures.

    “White matter integrity of the splenium has also exhibited similar correlations with speed-dependent measures (Madden et al., 2004; Sullivan et al., 2001).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Madden et al., 2004 source

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    • cites Sullivan et al., 2001

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    Premisecitation

    The genu and splenium of the corpus callosum have been identified previously in correlational studies of white matter and behavior.

    “The two regions that we found to be mediators, the genu and splenium of the corpus callosum, have been identified previously in correlational studies of white matter and behavior.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Increased perceptual speed is associated with increased white matter integrity in the genu.

    “Previous studies have found that increased perceptual speed is associated with increased white matter integrity in the genu (Bucur et al., in press; Schulte et al., 2005; Sullivan et al., 2001).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Bucur et al., in press

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    • cites Schulte et al., 2005 source

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    • cites Sullivan et al., 2001

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    Premisecitation

    The cortical network active during task switching involves dorsolateral prefrontal and superior parietal regions.

    “The cortical network that is active during task switching involves dorsolateral prefrontal and superior parietal regions (Braver et al., 2003; Kimberg et al., 2000; Sohn et al., 2000).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Braver et al., 2003 source

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    • cites Kimberg et al., 2000 source

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    • cites Sohn et al., 2000 source

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    Premisecitation

    Current models propose that age-related deficits in cognitive performance reflect interactive effects of structural changes in the frontal lobe and compensatory recruitment of these regions.

    “Current models of age-related change in brain function frequently propose that age-related deficits in cognitive performance reflect the interactive effects of structural changes in the frontal lobe and the compensatory recruitment of these regions to support task performance (Cabeza, 2002; Davis, Dennis, Daselaar, Fleck, & Cabeza, in press; Dennis & Cabeza, 2008; Grady, 2000).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Cabeza, 2002 source

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    • cites Davis et al., in press

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    • cites Dennis & Cabeza, 2008

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    Study design and conductreasoning

    Tractography analyses were performed for each participant in native space to reduce the effect of individual differences in anatomy on tract estimation.

    “We performed tractography analyses for each participant (i.e., in untransformed, native space), to reduce the effect of individual differences in anatomy on tract estimation.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductreasoning

    Analysis of the cautiousness parameter was limited to the participant level because response conservativeness should not fluctuate systematically within a block.

    “Analysis of the cautiousness parameter was limited to the participant level, because the participants’ response conservativeness (i.e., amount of evidence required for a particular response) should not fluctuate systematically within a block of trials.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Attention-dependent parietal activations are relatively greater in the right hemisphere.

    “Previous fMRI investigations of visual attention have also noted that attention-dependent parietal activations are relatively greater in the right hemisphere (Corbetta & Shulman, 2002; Kim et al., 1999).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Corbetta & Shulman, 2002 source

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    • cites Kim et al., 1999 source

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    Study design and conductreasoning

    The two DTI runs were merged to improve the signal-to-noise ratio.

    “To improve the signal-to-noise ratio, the two DTI runs were merged to a single data set for each participant.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    This pattern is consistent with previous studies of age differences in task switching.

    “This pattern is consistent with previous studies of age differences in task switching.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Meiran et al., 2001 source

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    • cites Verhaeghen & Cerella, 2002

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  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationown data

    The present findings support the Paus et al. proposal and suggest that correlations between FA and behavioral measures are not dependent entirely on perceptual-motor processing and may instead reflect decision-level processing.

    “The present findings support the Paus et al. proposal and suggest that correlations between FA and behavioral measures (Sullivan & Pfefferbaum, 2006) are not dependent entirely on perceptual-motor processing and may instead reflect decision-level processing.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Sullivan & Pfefferbaum, 2006

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  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Cortical networks activated by attention-demanding tasks are distributed widely and vulnerable to disruption at posterior as well as anterior sites.

    “The cortical networks activated by attention-demanding tasks are distributed widely and vulnerable to disruption at posterior as well as anterior sites (Andrews-Hanna et al., 2007; Greenwood, 2000; Tisserand & Jolles, 2003).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Andrews-Hanna et al., 2007 source

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    • cites Greenwood, 2000 source

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    • cites Tisserand & Jolles, 2003

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    Study design and conductnone given

    The tractography method has several sources of error, including thresholding, non-isotropic voxel dimensions, crossing fibers, and partial volume effects.

    “The tractography method that we used, applied at the individual participant level, has the advantage of taking individual differences in anatomy into account, but several sources of error exist, including the thresholding, the use of non-isotropic voxel dimensions, the presence of crossing fibers, and partial volume effects.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationown data

    The findings confirm previous age-related effects applications of this model.

    “These findings confirm previous age-related effects applications of this model (Ratcliff, Thapar, & McKoon, 2004; Spaniol, Madden, & Voss, 2006).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Ratcliff, Thapar, & McKoon, 2004

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    • cites Spaniol, Madden, & Voss, 2006

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  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisecitation

    Information processing tasks have an advantage over standardized psychometric tests by providing better access to the building blocks of cognitive abilities.

    “Paus et al. (2001) emphasized that, in studies of white matter-behavioral correlations, information processing tasks have an advantage, relative to standardized psychometric tests, by providing better access to the “building blocks” of cognitive abilities.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Paus et al. (2001) source

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  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Global switch costs are typically higher for older adults than younger adults, whereas local switch costs are less age-dependent.

    “Global switch costs (i.e., the difference between tasks involving switching and those involving a single, constant decision) are typically higher for older adults than for younger adults, whereas local switch costs (i.e., the cost of switching across adjacent trials) is less age-dependent (Meiran et al., 2001; Verhaeghen & Cerella, 2002).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Meiran et al., 2001 source

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    • cites Verhaeghen & Cerella, 2002

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    Study design and conductreasoning

    The tractography method applied at the individual participant level takes individual differences in anatomy into account.

    “The tractography method that we used, applied at the individual participant level, has the advantage of taking individual differences in anatomy into account, but several sources of error exist, including the thresholding, the use of non-isotropic voxel dimensions, the presence of crossing fibers, and partial volume effects.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
51 of 51

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The role of age-related white matter decline in cognitive changes is unclear.

    “but the role of this decline in age-related cognitive changes is not clear”
    “but the role of FA as a mediator of age-related variance in performance not been examined”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Drift rate and nondecision time reflect the quality of information processing for individual decisions and rely on the integrity of task-relevant neural networks.

    “We limited the mediation analyses to the performance measures of drift rate and nondecision time, because these latter measures (unlike the cautiousness parameter) reflect the quality of information processing for individual decisions, which in turn would rely on the integrity of task-relevant neural networks.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Mediation analysis of cross-sectional age differences can establish a causal role for white matter integrity in age-related cognitive change.

    “From the present results, we conclude that some decision-related processes operate less efficiently for older adults than for younger adults, and that age-related decline in the white matter integrity within specific regions of the frontoparietal network (central genu and splenium-parietal fibers in the right hemisphere) has a causal role in this form of age-related cognitive change.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    FA is a valid index of white matter integrity.

    “Using DTI tractography, we characterized white matter integrity within several pathways of the frontoparietal network and tested whether integrity (as indexed by FA) in this network mediated adult age differences in cognitive performance during task switching.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The present study is the first demonstration of mediation of age-related differences in cognitive performance by white matter integrity.

    “The present study is, to our knowledge, the first demonstration of the mediation of age-related differences in cognitive performance by white matter integrity.”
5 of 5

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Statistics recomputed

Every reported test result, recomputed from its test statistic and degrees of freedom. A result shows as not adding up only once an independent check has confirmed it.

  • ConsistentF(1, 38) = 15.56reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001

    “F(1, 38) = 15.56, p < .001”

  • ConsistentF(1, 38) = 44.9reported p < .0001 · recomputed p < .001

    “F(1, 38) = 44.90, p < .0001”

  • ConsistentF(1, 38) = 10.74reported p < .01 · recomputed p = .002

    “F(1, 38) = 10.74, p < .01”

  • ConsistentF(1, 38) = 6.84reported p < .05 · recomputed p = .013

    “F(1, 38) = 6.84, p < .05”

  • ConsistentF(1, 38) = 36.52reported p < .0001 · recomputed p < .001

    “F(1, 38) = 36.52, p < .0001”

  • ConsistentF(1, 38) = 5.8reported p < .05 · recomputed p = .021

    “F(1, 38) = 5.80, p < .05”

  • ConsistentF(1, 38) = 19.15reported p < .0001 · recomputed p < .001

    “F(1, 38) = 19.15, p < .0001”

  • ConsistentF(1, 38) = 8.62reported p < .01 · recomputed p = .006

    “F(1, 38) = 8.62, p < .01”

  • ConsistentF(1, 38) = 3.76reported p < .06 · recomputed p = .060

    “F(1, 38) = 3.76, p < .06”

9 of 9

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

  • DTI in-plane resolution conflicts with matrix and field of view

    Minor

    A 25.6 cm field of view is 256 mm; divided across 128 matrix positions, that gives 2 mm per side, or 4 mm2 per pixel, rather than the reported 1 mm2.

    Reported 1 · recomputed 2

1 of 1

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 7

  1. Beck, 1978, The Beck Depression Inventory.
  2. Dennis, 2008, Neuroimaging of healthy cognitive aging., 1
  3. Duvernoy, 1999, The human brain: Surface, three-dimensional sectional anatomy with MRI, and blood supply, 10.1007/978-3-7091-6792-2 · DOI
  4. Folstein, 1975, “Mini-mental state”. A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician., Journal of Psychiatric Research, 12, 189, 10.1016/0022-3956(75)90026-6 · DOI · Paper page
  5. Raz, 2005, The aging brain observed in vivo: Differential changes and their modifiers., 19
  6. Salthouse, 1992, Mechanisms of age–cognition relations in adulthood.
  7. Wechsler, 1981, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—revised.

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Madden, D. J., Spaniol, J., Costello, M. C., Bucur, B., White, L. E., Cabeza, R., Davis, S. W., Dennis, N. A., Provenzale, J. M., & Huettel, S. A.
Affiliations
  • Duke Medical Center (US)
  • Duke University (US)
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
Publisher
MIT Press - Journals
Published
2008-02-01
Volume
21
Issue
2
Pages
289-302
ISSN
  • 0898-929X (ISSN-L)
  • 1530-8898
DOI
10.1162/jocn.2009.21047
PMC
PMC2676336
OpenAlex
W2115762583
Cited by
265
References
64
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 15
FWCI
14.97
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Aging (R01AG019731, R21AG030771, R01AG023770, R01AG011622, T32AG000029)
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
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
Keywords
white matter integrity, aging, age-related cognitive decline, mediation, task switching, word classification, fractional anisotropy, corpus callosum, superior longitudinal fasciculus, reaction time distribution, older adults
MeSH terms
Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Brain, Cognition, Corpus Callosum, Cues, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological Tests, Psychomotor Performance, Reaction Time, Anisotropy, Young Adult

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Claims read by deepseek-v4.1-flash under definition version 3 (extract-v3) on 2026-10-05.

Classified by jev-1.13-20260917 (gold-guideline-v0.2) on 2026-10-05.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

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