AUTHORS: Teipel SJ, Lerche M, Kilimann I, O'Brien K, Grothe M, Meyer P, Li X, Sänger P, Hauenstein K

Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 40(2): 348-59, August 2014

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE:

We applied a novel diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) acquisition to determine associations between aging and subcortical fiber tract integrity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

We studied 35 cognitively healthy subjects (17 women), spanning the adult age range between 23 and 77 years, using anatomical MRI and a novel DSI acquisition scheme at 3 Tesla. The study was approved by the local institutional review board. DSI data were analyzed using tractography and complementary voxel-based analysis of generalized fractional anisotropy (GFA) maps. We determined the effects of age on generalized fractional anisotropy in selected fiber tracts as well as in a whole brain voxel-based analysis. For comparison, we studied the effects of age on regional gray and white matter volumes.

RESULTS:

We found a significant reduction in anterior corpus callosum fiber tract integrity with age (P < 0.001), as well as significant GFA reduction throughout the subcortical white matter (P < 0.05, false discovery rate [FDR] corrected). GFA decline was accompanied by significant gray matter atrophy in frontal and temporal association cortex (P < 0.05, FDR corrected).

CONCLUSION:

Our data suggest that normal aging leads to a regionally specific decline in fiber tract integrity. DSI may become a useful biomarker in healthy and pathological aging.

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