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Ai Y, Li F, Hou Y, Li X, Li W, Qin K, Suo X, Lei D, Shang H, Gong Q. Differential cortical gray matter changes in early- and late-onset patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad426. [PMID: 38061694 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Age at onset may be an important feature associated with distinct subtypes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Little is known about the neuropathological mechanism of early-onset ALS (EO-ALS) and late-onset ALS (LO-ALS). Ninety ALS patients were divided into EO-ALS and LO-ALS group, and 128 healthy controls were matched into young controls(YCs) and old controls (OCs). A voxel-based morphometry approach was employed to investigate differences in gray matter volume (GMV). Significant age at onset-by-diagnosis interactions were found in the left parietal operculum, left precentral gyrus, bilateral postcentral gyrus, right occipital gyrus, and right orbitofrontal cortex. Post hoc analysis revealed a significant decrease in GMV in all affected regions of EO-ALS patients compared with YCs, with increased GMV in 5 of the 6 brain regions, except for the right orbitofrontal cortex, in LO-ALS patients compared with OCs. LO-ALS patients had a significantly increased GMV than EO-ALS patients after removing the aging effect. Correspondingly, GMV of the left postcentral gyrus correlated with disease severity in the 2 ALS groups. Our findings suggested that the pathological mechanisms in ALS patients with different ages at onset might differ. These findings provide unique insight into the clinical and biological heterogeneity of the 2 ALS subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Ai
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Fei Li
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Yanbing Hou
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Xiuli Li
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Wenbin Li
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Kun Qin
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Xueling Suo
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Du Lei
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Huifang Shang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
- Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, 699 Jinyuan Xi Road, Jimei District, Xiamen, Fujian 361021, China
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Stiernman L, Grill F, McNulty C, Bahrd P, Panes Lundmark V, Axelsson J, Salami A, Rieckmann A. Widespread fMRI BOLD Signal Overactivations during Cognitive Control in Older Adults Are Not Matched by Corresponding Increases in fPET Glucose Metabolism. J Neurosci 2023; 43:2527-2536. [PMID: 36868855 PMCID: PMC10082451 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1331-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A common observation in fMRI studies using the BOLD signal is that older adults, compared with young adults, show overactivations, particularly during less demanding tasks. The neuronal underpinnings of such overactivations are not known, but a dominant view is that they are compensatory in nature and involve recruitment of additional neural resources. We scanned 23 young (20-37 years) and 34 older (65-86 years) healthy human adults of both sexes with hybrid positron emission tomography/MRI. The radioligand [18F]fluoro-deoxyglucose was used to assess dynamic changes in glucose metabolism as a marker of task-dependent synaptic activity, along with simultaneous fMRI BOLD imaging. Participants performed two verbal working memory (WM) tasks: one involving maintenance (easy) and one requiring manipulation (difficult) of information in WM. Converging activations to the WM tasks versus rest were observed for both imaging modalities and age groups in attentional, control, and sensorimotor networks. Upregulation of activity to WM-demand, comparing the more difficult to the easier task, also converged between both modalities and age groups. For regions in which older adults showed task-dependent BOLD overactivations compared with the young adults, no corresponding increases in glucose metabolism were found. To conclude, findings from the current study show that task-induced changes in the BOLD signal and synaptic activity as measured by glucose metabolism generally converge, but overactivations observed with fMRI in older adults are not coupled with increased synaptic activity, which suggests that these overactivations are not neuronal in origin.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Findings of increased fMRI activations in older compared with younger adults have been suggested to reflect increased use of neuronal resources to cope with reduced brain function. The physiological underpinnings of such compensatory processes are poorly understood, however, and rest on the assumption that vascular signals accurately reflect neuronal activity. Comparing fMRI and simultaneously acquired functional positron emission tomography as an alternative index of synaptic activity, we show that age-related overactivations do not appear to be neuronal in origin. This result is important because mechanisms underlying compensatory processes in aging are potential targets for interventions aiming to prevent age-related cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Stiernman
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Filip Grill
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Charlotte McNulty
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Philip Bahrd
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Vania Panes Lundmark
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jan Axelsson
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Alireza Salami
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm University, Stockholm, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Anna Rieckmann
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Munich Center for the Economics of Aging, Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy, Munich, 80799 München, Germany
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Tan J, Wang Z, Tang Y, Tian Y. Alterations in Human Hippocampus Subregions across the Lifespan: Reflections on White Matter Structure and Functional Connectivity. Neural Plast 2023; 2023:7948140. [PMID: 37025422 PMCID: PMC10072963 DOI: 10.1155/2023/7948140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
During growth and aging, the role of the hippocampus in memory depends on its interactions with related brain regions. Particularly, two subregions, anterior hippocampus (aHipp) and posterior hippocampus (pHipp), play different and critical roles in memory processing. However, age-related changes of hippocampus subregions on structure and function are still unclear. Here, we investigated age-related structural and functional characteristics of 106 participants (7-85 years old) in resting state based on fractional anisotropy (FA) and functional connectivity (FC) in aHipp and pHipp in the lifespan. The correlation between FA and FC was also explored to identify the coupling. Furthermore, the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) was used to explore the relationship between cognitive ability and hippocampal changes. Results showed that there was functional separation and integration in aHipp and pHipp, and the number of functional connections in pHipp was more than that in aHipp across the lifespan. The age-related FC changes showed four different trends (U-shaped/inverted U-shaped/linear upward/linear downward). And around the age of 40 was a critical period for transformation. Then, FA analyses indicated that all effects of age on the hippocampal structures were nonlinear, and the white matter integrity of pHipp was higher than that of aHipp. In the functional-structural coupling, we found that the age-related FA of the right aHipp (aHipp.R) was negatively related to the FC. Finally, through the WASI, we found that the age-related FA of the left aHipp (aHipp.L) was positively correlated with verbal IQ (VERB) and vocabulary comprehension (VOCAB.T), the FA of aHipp.R was only positively correlated with VERB, and the FA of the left pHipp (pHipp.L) was only positively correlated with VOCAB.T. These FC and FA results supported that age-related normal memory changes were closely related to the hippocampus subregions. We also provided empirical evidence that memory ability was altered with the hippocampus, and its efficiency tended to decline after age 40.
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Relationship of prefrontal brain lateralization to optimal cognitive function differs with age. Neuroimage 2022; 264:119736. [PMID: 36396072 PMCID: PMC9901282 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There is considerable debate about whether additional fMRI-measured activity in the right prefrontal cortex readily observed in older adults represents compensatory activation that enhances cognition or whether maintenance of youthful brain activity best supports cognitive function in late adulthood. To investigate this issue, we tested a large lifespan sample of 461 adults (aged 20-89) and treated degree of left-lateralization in ventrolateral and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during a semantic judgment fMRI task as an individual differences variable to predict cognition. We found that younger adults were highly left-lateralized, but lateralization did not predict better cognition, whereas higher left-lateralization of prefrontal cortex predicted better cognitive performance in middle-aged adults, providing evidence that left-lateralized, youth-like patterns are optimal in middle age. This relationship was reversed in older adults, with lower laterality scores associated with better cognition. The findings suggest that bilaterality in older adults facilitates cognition, but early manifestation of this pattern during middle age is characteristic of low performers. Implications of these findings for current theories of neurocognitive aging are discussed.
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Kuruvilla-Mathew A, Thorne PR, Purdy SC. Effects of aging on neural processing during an active listening task. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273304. [PMID: 36070253 PMCID: PMC9451064 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Factors affecting successful listening in older adults and the corresponding electrophysiological signatures are not well understood. The present study investigated age-related differences in attention and temporal processing, as well as differences in the neural activity related to signal degradation during a number comparison task. Participants listened to digits presented in background babble and were tested at two levels of signal clarity, clear and degraded. Behavioral and electrophysiological measures were examined in 30 older and 20 younger neurologically-healthy adults. Relationships between performance on the number comparison task, behavioral measures, and neural activity were used to determine correlates of listening deficits associated with aging. While older participants showed poorer performance overall on all behavioral measures, their scores on the number comparison task were largely predicted (based on regression analyses) by their sensitivity to temporal fine structure cues. Compared to younger participants, older participants required higher signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) to achieve equivalent performance on the number comparison task. With increasing listening demands, age-related changes were observed in neural processing represented by the early-N1 and later-P3 time windows. Source localization analyses revealed age differences in source activity for the degraded listening condition that was located in the left prefrontal cortex. In addition, this source activity negatively correlated with task performance in the older group. Together, these results suggest that older adults exhibit reallocation of processing resources to complete a demanding listening task. However, this effect was evident only for poorer performing older adults who showed greater posterior to anterior shift in P3 response amplitudes than older adults who were good performers and younger adults. These findings might reflect less efficient recruitment of neural resources that is associated with aging during effortful listening performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abin Kuruvilla-Mathew
- Speech Science, School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Eisdell Moore Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
| | - Peter R. Thorne
- Eisdell Moore Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Faculty of Medical and Health Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Suzanne C. Purdy
- Speech Science, School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Eisdell Moore Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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6
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Jia SH, Zhou Z, Shao W, Zhou X, Lv S, Hong W, Peng DT. The functional connectivity of basal forebrain is associated with superior memory performance in older adults: a case-control study. BMC Geriatr 2022; 22:519. [PMID: 35751017 PMCID: PMC9233365 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-022-03226-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Aging is related with memory deterioration. However, some older adults demonstrate superior performance compared to age- and education-matched adults, who are referred to as superagers. To explore the neural mechanisms that mediate their unusually successful memory is important not only for the ameliorate the effects of aging in brain, but also for the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. This case-control study is aimed to investigate the effects of volume and function of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons on the cognition of superagers. Methods The morphometric and resting-state functional MRI analysis, including 34 superagers and 48 typical older adults, were conducted. We compared the basal forebrain gray matter density and related resting-state functional connectivity (FC) in the two groups. To investigate the relationship of FC with cognition, we measure the correlation of significant altered FC and individual cognitive domain. Results No significant differences of gray matter density was observed between superagers and typical older adults. The superagers had stronger cortical FC of Ch1-3 with left putamen and insular cortex. The strength of FC positively correlated with global cognition, memory and executive function. Conclusions These findings demonstrated that the stronger FC of basal forebrain correlated with specific cognitive difference in global cognition and domains of memory and executive function in superagers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Hong Jia
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi Zhou
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Wen Shao
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Zhou
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shuang Lv
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Wen Hong
- Department of Radiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Dan-Tao Peng
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China.
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Chen X, Rundle MM, Kennedy KM, Moore W, Park DC. Functional activation features of memory in successful agers across the adult lifespan. Neuroimage 2022; 257:119276. [PMID: 35523368 PMCID: PMC9364925 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Much neuroimaging research has explored the neural mechanisms underlying successful cognitive aging. Two different patterns of functional activation, maintenance of youth-like activity and compensatory novel recruitment, have been proposed to represent different brain functional features underlying individual differences in cognitive aging. In this study, we investigated the functional features in individuals across the adult lifespan who appeared to resist age-related cognitive decline, in comparison to those with typical age-related declines, over the course of four years. We first implemented latent mixture modeling, a data-driven approach, to classify participants as successful and average agers in middle-aged, young-old, and very old groups, based on their baseline and longitudinal cognitive performance. Then, using fMRI with a subsequent memory paradigm at the follow-up visit, brain activation specifically related to successful encoding (i.e., subsequent memory effect: subsequently remembered with high confidence > subsequently forgotten) was compared between people who established successful cognitive aging versus average aging in the three age groups. Several differences in the subsequent memory effect were revealed. First, across core task-related regions commonly used during successful encoding, successful agers exhibited high subsequent memory effect, at a level comparable to the young control group, until very old age; in contrast, average agers showed reduced subsequent memory effect, compared to successful agers, beginning in young-old age when memory performance also reduced in average agers, compared to successful agers. Second, additional recruitment in prefrontal clusters, distant from the core task-related regions, were identified in the left superior frontal and right orbitofrontal cortices in successful agers of young-old age, possibly reflecting functional compensation in successful aging. In summary, successful agers demonstrate a pattern of youth-like activation spanning from middle age to young-old age, as well as novel frontal recruitment in young-old age. Overall, our study demonstrated evidence of two neural patterns related to successful cognitive aging, offering an integrated view of functional features underlying successful aging, and suggests the importance of studying individuals across the lifespan to understand brain changes occurring in mid and early-late life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Chen
- Center for Vital Longevity, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 1600 Viceroy Dr., Unit 800, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA.
| | - Melissa M Rundle
- Center for Vital Longevity, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 1600 Viceroy Dr., Unit 800, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA
| | - Kristen M Kennedy
- Center for Vital Longevity, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 1600 Viceroy Dr., Unit 800, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA
| | - William Moore
- Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Denise C Park
- Center for Vital Longevity, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 1600 Viceroy Dr., Unit 800, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA
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Koch E, Nyberg L, Lundquist A, Kauppi K. Polygenic Risk for Schizophrenia Has Sex-Specific Effects on Brain Activity during Memory Processing in Healthy Individuals. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13030412. [PMID: 35327966 PMCID: PMC8950000 DOI: 10.3390/genes13030412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic risk for schizophrenia has a negative impact on memory and other cognitive abilities in unaffected individuals, and it was recently shown that this effect is specific to males. Using functional MRI, we investigated the effect of a polygenic risk score (PRS) for schizophrenia on brain activation during working memory and episodic memory in 351 unaffected participants (167 males and 184 females, 25–95 years), and specifically tested if any effect of PRS on brain activation is sex-specific. Schizophrenia PRS was significantly associated with decreased brain activation in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during working-memory manipulation and in the bilateral superior parietal lobule (SPL) during episodic-memory encoding and retrieval. A significant interaction effect between sex and PRS was seen in the bilateral SPL during episodic-memory encoding and retrieval, and sex-stratified analyses showed that the effect of PRS on SPL activation was male-specific. These results confirm previous findings of DLPFC inefficiency in schizophrenia, and highlight the SPL as another important genetic intermediate phenotype of the disease. The observed sex differences suggest that the previously shown male-specific effect of schizophrenia PRS on cognition translates into an additional corresponding effect on brain functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Koch
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; (L.N.); (K.K.)
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +46-90-786-50-00
| | - Lars Nyberg
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; (L.N.); (K.K.)
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden;
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anders Lundquist
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden;
- Department of Statistics, School of Business, Economics and Statistics, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Karolina Kauppi
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; (L.N.); (K.K.)
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden;
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institute, Nobels väg 12A, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
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Capogna E, Sneve MH, Raud L, Folvik L, Ness HT, Walhovd KB, Fjell AM, Vidal-Piñeiro D. Whole-brain connectivity during encoding: age-related differences and associations with cognitive and brain structural decline. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:68-82. [PMID: 35193146 PMCID: PMC9758575 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a limited understanding of age differences in functional connectivity during memory encoding. In the present study, a sample of cognitively healthy adult participants (n = 488, 18-81 years), a subsample of whom had longitudinal cognitive and brain structural data spanning on average 8 years back, underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing an associative memory encoding task. We investigated (1) age-related differences in whole-brain connectivity during memory encoding; (2) whether encoding connectivity patterns overlapped with the activity signatures of specific cognitive processes, and (3) whether connectivity associated with memory encoding related to longitudinal brain structural and cognitive changes. Age was associated with lower intranetwork connectivity among cortical networks and higher internetwork connectivity between networks supporting higher level cognitive functions and unimodal and attentional areas during encoding. Task-connectivity between mediotemporal and posterior parietal regions-which overlapped with areas involved in mental imagery-was related to better memory performance only in older age. The connectivity patterns supporting memory performance in older age reflected preservation of thickness of the medial temporal cortex. The results are more in accordance with a maintenance rather than a compensation account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elettra Capogna
- Corresponding author: Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Markus H Sneve
- Centre for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0373 Oslo, Norway
| | - Liisa Raud
- Centre for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0373 Oslo, Norway
| | - Line Folvik
- Centre for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0373 Oslo, Norway
| | - Hedda T Ness
- Centre for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0373 Oslo, Norway
| | - Kristine B Walhovd
- Centre for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0373 Oslo, Norway,Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, 0424 Oslo, Norway
| | - Anders M Fjell
- Centre for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0373 Oslo, Norway,Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, 0424 Oslo, Norway
| | - Didac Vidal-Piñeiro
- Centre for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0373 Oslo, Norway
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10
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Korkki SM, Papenberg G, Karalija N, Garrett DD, Riklund K, Lövdén M, Lindenberger U, Nyberg L, Bäckman L. Fronto-striatal dopamine D2 receptor availability is associated with cognitive variability in older individuals with low dopamine integrity. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21089. [PMID: 34702857 PMCID: PMC8548594 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00106-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Within-person, moment-to-moment, variability in behavior increases with advancing adult age, potentially reflecting the influence of reduced structural and neurochemical brain integrity, especially that of the dopaminergic system. We examined the role of dopamine D2 receptor (D2DR) availability, grey-, and white-matter integrity, for between-person differences in cognitive variability in a large sample of healthy older adults (n = 181; 64-68 years) from the Cognition, Brain, and Aging (COBRA) study. Intra-individual variability (IIV) in cognition was measured as across-trial variability in participants' response times for tasks assessing perceptual speed and working memory, as well as for a control task of motor speed. Across the whole sample, no associations of D2DR availability, or grey- and white-matter integrity, to IIV were observed. However, within-person variability in cognition was increased in two subgroups of individuals displaying low mean-level cognitive performance, one of which was characterized by low subcortical and cortical D2DR availability. In this latter group, fronto-striatal D2DR availability correlated negatively with within-person variability in cognition. This finding suggests that the influence of D2DR availability on cognitive variability may be more easily disclosed among individuals with low dopamine-system integrity, highlighting the benefits of large-scale studies for delineating heterogeneity in brain-behavior associations in older age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saana M. Korkki
- grid.10548.380000 0004 1936 9377Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Goran Papenberg
- grid.10548.380000 0004 1936 9377Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nina Karalija
- grid.12650.300000 0001 1034 3451Department of Radiation Sciences, Diagnostic Radiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden ,grid.12650.300000 0001 1034 3451Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Douglas D. Garrett
- grid.419526.d0000 0000 9859 7917Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany ,grid.4372.20000 0001 2105 1091Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katrine Riklund
- grid.12650.300000 0001 1034 3451Department of Radiation Sciences, Diagnostic Radiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden ,grid.12650.300000 0001 1034 3451Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Martin Lövdén
- grid.8761.80000 0000 9919 9582Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- grid.419526.d0000 0000 9859 7917Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany ,grid.4372.20000 0001 2105 1091Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Nyberg
- grid.12650.300000 0001 1034 3451Department of Radiation Sciences, Diagnostic Radiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden ,grid.12650.300000 0001 1034 3451Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden ,grid.12650.300000 0001 1034 3451Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lars Bäckman
- grid.10548.380000 0004 1936 9377Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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11
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Garrett DD, Skowron A, Wiegert S, Adolf J, Dahle CL, Lindenberger U, Raz N. Lost Dynamics and the Dynamics of Loss: Longitudinal Compression of Brain Signal Variability is Coupled with Declines in Functional Integration and Cognitive Performance. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:5239-5252. [PMID: 34297815 PMCID: PMC8491679 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Reduced moment-to-moment blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal variability has been consistently linked to advanced age and poorer cognitive performance, showing potential as a functional marker of brain aging. To date, however, this promise has rested exclusively on cross-sectional comparisons. In a sample of 74 healthy adults, we provide the first longitudinal evidence linking individual differences in BOLD variability, age, and performance across multiple cognitive domains over an average period of 2.5 years. As expected, those expressing greater loss of BOLD variability also exhibited greater decline in cognition. The fronto-striato-thalamic system emerged as a core neural substrate for these change-change associations. Preservation of signal variability within regions of the fronto-striato-thalamic system also cohered with preservation of functional integration across regions of this system, suggesting that longitudinal maintenance of "local" dynamics may require across-region communication. We therefore propose this neural system as a primary target in future longitudinal studies on the neural substrates of cognitive aging. Given that longitudinal change-change associations between brain and cognition are notoriously difficult to detect, the presence of such an association within a relatively short follow-up period bolsters the promise of brain signal variability as a viable, experimentally sensitive probe for studying individual differences in human cognitive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas D Garrett
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin 14195, Germany
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Alexander Skowron
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin 14195, Germany
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Steffen Wiegert
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin 14195, Germany
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Janne Adolf
- Research Group of Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Cheryl L Dahle
- Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, 87 East Ferry Street, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin 14195, Germany
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Naftali Raz
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin 14195, Germany
- Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, 87 East Ferry Street, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, 87 East Ferry Street, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
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12
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Soshi T, Andersson M, Kawagoe T, Nishiguchi S, Yamada M, Otsuka Y, Nakai R, Abe N, Aslah A, Igasaki T, Sekiyama K. Prefrontal Plasticity after a 3-Month Exercise Intervention in Older Adults Relates to Enhanced Cognitive Performance. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:4501-4517. [PMID: 34009242 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
This study examined exercise intervention effects on older adults' brain structures and function. Brain data were analyzed from 47 healthy adults between 61 and 82 years of age who, in a previous study, showed cognitive improvement following a 3-month intervention. The participants were assigned to a motor exercise intervention group (n = 24), performing exercise training programs for a 12-week period, or a waiting control group (n = 23), abstaining from any exercise program. Structural analysis of the frontal cortex and hippocampus revealed increased gray matter volume and/or thickness in several prefrontal areas in the intervention group and reduced hippocampal gray matter volume in the control group. Importantly, the volume increase in the middle frontal sulcus in the intervention group was associated with a general cognitive improvement after the intervention. Functional analysis showed that the prefrontal functional connectivity during a working memory task differently changed in response to the intervention or waiting in the two groups. The functional connectivity decreased in the intervention group, whereas the corresponding connectivity increased in the control group, which was associated with maintaining cognitive performance. The current longitudinal findings indicate that short-term exercise intervention can induce prefrontal plasticity associated with cognitive performance in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Soshi
- Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8306, Japan
| | | | - Toshikazu Kawagoe
- College of Contemporary Psychology, Rikkyo University, Niiza, Saitama 352-8558, Japan
| | - Shu Nishiguchi
- NTT DATA Institute of Management Consulting, Inc., Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0093, Japan
| | - Minoru Yamada
- Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-0012, Japan
| | - Yuki Otsuka
- Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Nakai
- Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Nobuhito Abe
- Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Adibah Aslah
- Department of Human and Environmental Informatics, Kumamoto University, Chuo-ku, kumamoto 860-8555, Japan
| | - Tomohiko Igasaki
- Department of Human and Environmental Informatics, Kumamoto University, Chuo-ku, kumamoto 860-8555, Japan
| | - Kaoru Sekiyama
- Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8306, Japan
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13
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Quantifying Age-Related Changes in Brain and Behavior: A Longitudinal versus Cross-Sectional Approach. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0273-21.2021. [PMID: 34281979 PMCID: PMC8354716 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0273-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cross-sectional versus longitudinal comparisons of age-related change have often revealed differing results. In the current study, we used within-subject task-based fMRI to investigate changes in voxel-based activations and behavioral performance across the life span in the Reference Ability Neural Network cohort, at both baseline and 5 year follow-up. We analyzed fMRI data from between 127 and 159 participants (20–80 years) on a battery of tests relating to each of four cognitive reference abilities. We applied a Gaussian age kernel to capture continuous change across the life span using a 5 year sliding window centered on each age in our participant sample, with a subsequent division into young, middle, and old age brackets. This method was applied separately to both cross-sectional approximations of change and real longitudinal changes adopting a comparative approach. We then focused on longitudinal measurements of neural change to identify regions expressing peak changes and fluctuations of sign change across our sample. Our results revealed several regions expressing divergence between cross-sectional and longitudinal measurements in each domain and age bracket; behavioral comparisons between measurements showed differences in change curves for all four domains, with processing speed displaying the steepest declines. In the longitudinal change measurement, we found lack of support for age-related frontal increases across analysis types, instead finding more posterior regions displaying peak increases in activation, particularly in the old age bracket. Our findings encourage greater focus on longitudinal measurements of age-related changes, which display appreciable differences from cross-sectional approximations.
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14
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Vaqué-Alcázar L, Abellaneda-Pérez K, Solé-Padullés C, Bargalló N, Valls-Pedret C, Ros E, Sala-Llonch R, Bartrés-Faz D. Functional brain changes associated with cognitive trajectories determine specific tDCS-induced effects among older adults. J Neurosci Res 2021; 99:2188-2200. [PMID: 34047384 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The combination of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can provide original data to investigate age-related brain changes. We examined neural activity modulations induced by two multifocal tDCS procedures based on two distinct montages fitting two N-back task-based fMRI patterns ("compensatory" and "maintenance") related to high working memory (WM) in a previous publication (Fernández-Cabello et al. Neurobiol Aging (2016);48:23-33). We included 24 participants classified as stable or decliners according to their 4-year WM trajectories following a retrospective longitudinal approach. Then, we studied longitudinal fMRI differences between groups (stable and decliners) and across multifocal tDCS montages ("compensatory" and "maintenance") applied using a single-blind sham-controlled cross-over design. Decliners evidenced over-activation of non-related WM areas after 4 years of follow-up. Focusing on tDCS effects, among the decliner group, the "compensatory"-tDCS montage reduced the activity over the posterior regions where these subjects showed longitudinal hyperactivation. These results reinforce the notion that tDCS effects are characterized by an activity reduction and might be more noticeable in compromised systems. Importantly, the data provide novel evidence that cognitive trajectories predict tDCS effects in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lídia Vaqué-Alcázar
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Kilian Abellaneda-Pérez
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Solé-Padullés
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Bargalló
- Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Neuroradiology Section, Radiology Service, Centre de Diagnòstic per la Imatge, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cinta Valls-Pedret
- Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Lipid Clinic, Endocrinology and Nutrition Service, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilio Ros
- Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Lipid Clinic, Endocrinology and Nutrition Service, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Roser Sala-Llonch
- Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Consorcio Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Bartrés-Faz
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Barcelona, Spain
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15
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De Castro V, Girard P. Location and temporal memory of objects declines in aged marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). Sci Rep 2021; 11:9138. [PMID: 33911122 PMCID: PMC8080792 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88357-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Episodic memory decline is an early marker of cognitive aging in human. Although controversial in animals and called “episodic-like memory”, several models have been successfully developed, however they rarely focused on ageing. While marmoset is an emerging primate model in aging science, episodic-like memory has never been tested in this species and importantly in aged marmosets. Here, we examined if the recall of the what-when and what-where building blocks of episodic-like memory declines in ageing marmosets. We developed a naturalistic approach using spontaneous exploration of real objects by young and old marmosets in the home cage. We implemented a three-trial task with 1 week inter-trial interval. Two different sets of identical objects were presented in sample trials 1 and 2, respectively. For the test trial, two objects from each set were presented in a former position and two in a new one. We quantified the exploratory behaviour and calculated discrimination indices in a cohort of 20 marmosets. Young animals presented a preserved memory for combined what-where, and what-when components of the experiment, which declined with aging. These findings lead one to expect episodic-like memory deficits in aged marmosets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa De Castro
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CerCo), Toulouse, France. .,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) - UMR 5549, Toulouse, France.
| | - Pascal Girard
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition (CerCo), Toulouse, France. .,Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), Toulouse, France.
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16
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Nordin K, Nyberg L, Andersson M, Karalija N, Riklund K, Bäckman L, Salami A. Distinct and Common Large-Scale Networks of the Hippocampal Long Axis in Older Age: Links to Episodic Memory and Dopamine D2 Receptor Availability. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:3435-3450. [PMID: 33676372 PMCID: PMC8196260 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The hippocampal longitudinal axis has been linked to dissociated functional networks relevant to episodic memory. However, the organization of axis-dependent networks and their relation to episodic memory in aging remains less explored. Moreover, age-related deterioration of the dopamine (DA) system, affecting memory and functional network properties, might constitute a source of reduced specificity of hippocampal networks in aging. Here, we characterized axis-dependent large-scale hippocampal resting-state networks, their relevance to episodic memory, and links to DA in older individuals (n = 170, 64–68 years). Partial least squares identified 2 dissociated networks differentially connected to the anterior and posterior hippocampus. These overlapped with anterior–temporal/posterior–medial networks in young adults, indicating preserved organization of axis-dependent connectivity in old age. However, axis-specific networks were overall unrelated to memory and hippocampal DA D2 receptor availability (D2DR) measured with [11C]-raclopride positron emission tomography. Further analyses identified a memory-related network modulated by hippocampal D2DR, equally connected to anterior–posterior regions. This network included medial frontal, posterior parietal, and striatal areas. The results add to the current understanding of large-scale hippocampal connectivity in aging, demonstrating axis-dependent connectivity with dissociated anterior and posterior networks, as well as a primary role in episodic memory of connectivity shared by regions along the hippocampalaxis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Nordin
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.,Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lars Nyberg
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.,Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Micael Andersson
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Nina Karalija
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Katrine Riklund
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lars Bäckman
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, S-11330 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alireza Salami
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.,Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.,Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, S-11330 Stockholm, Sweden
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17
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Guo X, Yamashita M, Suzuki M, Ohsawa C, Asano K, Abe N, Soshi T, Sekiyama K. Musical instrument training program improves verbal memory and neural efficiency in novice older adults. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 42:1359-1375. [PMID: 33617124 PMCID: PMC7927292 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies indicate that musical instrument training may improve the cognitive function of older adults. However, little is known about the neural origins of training‐related improvement in cognitive function. Here, we assessed the effects of instrumental training program on cognitive functions and neural efficiency in musically naïve older adults (61–85 years old). Participants were assigned to either the intervention group, which received a 4‐month instrumental training program using keyboard harmonica, or a control group without any alternative training. Cognitive measurements and functional magnetic resonance imaging during visual working memory (VWM) task were administered before and after the intervention in both groups. Behavioral data revealed that the intervention group significantly improved memory performance on the test that measures verbal recall compared to the control group. Neuroimaging data revealed that brain activation in the right supplementary motor area, left precuneus, and bilateral posterior cingulate gyrus (PCgG) during the VWM task decreased after instrumental training only in the intervention group. Task‐related functional connectivity (FC) analysis revealed that the intervention group showed decreased FC between the right PCgG and left middle temporal gyrus, and between the left putamen and right superior temporal gyrus (lPu‐rSTG) during a VWM task after the intervention. Furthermore, a greater improvement in memory performance in the intervention group was associated with a larger reduction in lPu‐rSTG FC, which might be interpreted as improved neural efficiency. Our results indicate that the musical instrument training program may contribute to improvements in verbal memory and neural efficiency in novice older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Guo
- Graduate School of Social and Cultural Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.,Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Yamashita
- Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Maki Suzuki
- Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Department of Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry, Osaka University United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka, Japan
| | - Chie Ohsawa
- Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,School of Music, Mukogawa Women's University, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Kohei Asano
- Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Faculty of Child Care and Education, Osaka University of Comprehensive Children Education, Osaka, Japan
| | - Nobuhito Abe
- Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takahiro Soshi
- Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kaoru Sekiyama
- Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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18
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Nyberg L, Boraxbekk CJ, Sörman DE, Hansson P, Herlitz A, Kauppi K, Ljungberg JK, Lövheim H, Lundquist A, Adolfsson AN, Oudin A, Pudas S, Rönnlund M, Stiernstedt M, Sundström A, Adolfsson R. Biological and environmental predictors of heterogeneity in neurocognitive ageing: Evidence from Betula and other longitudinal studies. Ageing Res Rev 2020; 64:101184. [PMID: 32992046 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2020.101184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Individual differences in cognitive performance increase with advancing age, reflecting marked cognitive changes in some individuals along with little or no change in others. Genetic and lifestyle factors are assumed to influence cognitive performance in ageing by affecting the magnitude and extent of age-related brain changes (i.e., brain maintenance or atrophy), as well as the ability to recruit compensatory processes. The purpose of this review is to present findings from the Betula study and other longitudinal studies, with a focus on clarifying the role of key biological and environmental factors assumed to underlie individual differences in brain and cognitive ageing. We discuss the vital importance of sampling, analytic methods, consideration of non-ignorable dropout, and related issues for valid conclusions on factors that influence healthy neurocognitive ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Nyberg
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Carl-Johan Boraxbekk
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance (DRCMR), Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Denmark; Institute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen (ISMC), Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Daniel Eriksson Sörman
- Department of Human Work Science, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97187 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Patrik Hansson
- Department of Psychology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Agneta Herlitz
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, S-17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karolina Kauppi
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jessica K Ljungberg
- Department of Human Work Science, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97187 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Hugo Lövheim
- Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Geriatric Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine (WCMM), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anders Lundquist
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Department of Statistics, USBE, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Anna Oudin
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Environment Society and Health, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University
| | - Sara Pudas
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Mikael Stiernstedt
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anna Sundström
- Department of Psychology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Centre for Demographic and Ageing Research (CEDAR), Umeå University, Umeå, S-90187, Sweden
| | - Rolf Adolfsson
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
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19
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Friedl-Werner A, Brauns K, Gunga HC, Kühn S, Stahn AC. Exercise-induced changes in brain activity during memory encoding and retrieval after long-term bed rest. Neuroimage 2020; 223:117359. [PMID: 32919056 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Episodic memory depends decisively on the hippocampus and the parahippocampal gyrus, brain structures that are also prone to exercise-induced neuroplasticity and cognitive improvement. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to investigate the effects of a high-intensity exercise program in twenty-two men resting in bed for 60 days on episodic memory and its neuronal basis. All participants were exposed to 60 days of uninterrupted bed rest. Eleven participants were additionally assigned to a high-intensity interval training that was performed five to six times weekly for 60 days. Episodic memory and its neural basis were determined four days prior to and on the 58th day of bed rest using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We found increased BOLD signal in the left hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus in the non-exercising group compared to the exercising bed rest group whereas the mnemonic performance did not differ significantly. These findings indicate a higher neuronal efficiency in the training group during memory encoding and retrieval and may suggest a dysfunctional mechanism in the non-exercising bed rest group induced by two months of physical inactivity. Our results provide further support for the modulating effects of physical exercise and adverse implications of a sedentary lifestyle and bedridden patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anika Friedl-Werner
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, a corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Physiology, Charitéplatz 1, CharitéCrossOver, Virchowweg 6, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Université de Normandie, INSERM U 1075 COMETE, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Katharina Brauns
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, a corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Physiology, Charitéplatz 1, CharitéCrossOver, Virchowweg 6, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Hanns-Christian Gunga
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, a corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Physiology, Charitéplatz 1, CharitéCrossOver, Virchowweg 6, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Simone Kühn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; Max-Planck-Institute for Human Development, Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander C Stahn
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, a corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Physiology, Charitéplatz 1, CharitéCrossOver, Virchowweg 6, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Unit of Experimental Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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20
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Avelar-Pereira B, Bäckman L, Wåhlin A, Nyberg L, Salami A. Increased functional homotopy of the prefrontal cortex is associated with corpus callosum degeneration and working memory decline. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 96:68-78. [PMID: 32949903 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Functional homotopy reflects the link between spontaneous activity in a voxel and its counterpart in the opposite hemisphere. Alterations in homotopic functional connectivity (FC) are seen in normal aging, with highest and lowest homotopy being present in sensory-motor and higher-order regions, respectively. Homotopic FC relates to underlying structural connections, but its neurobiological underpinnings remain unclear. The genu of the corpus callosum joins symmetrical parts of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and is susceptible to age-related degeneration, suggesting that PFC homotopic connectivity is linked to changes in white-matter integrity. We investigated homotopic connectivity changes and whether these were associated with white-matter integrity in 338 individuals. In addition, we examined whether PFC homotopic FC was related to changes in the genu over 10 years and working memory over 5 years. There were increases and decreases in functional homotopy, with the former being prevalent in subcortical and frontal regions. Increased PFC homotopic FC was partially driven by structural degeneration and negatively associated with working memory, suggesting that it reflects detrimental age-related changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Avelar-Pereira
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Lars Bäckman
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anders Wåhlin
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lars Nyberg
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Alireza Salami
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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21
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Nyberg L, Lundquist A, Nordin Adolfsson A, Andersson M, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Adolfsson R. Elevated plasma neurofilament light in aging reflects brain white-matter alterations but does not predict cognitive decline or Alzheimer's disease. ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2020; 12:e12050. [PMID: 32587884 PMCID: PMC7311800 DOI: 10.1002/dad2.12050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We investigated neurofilament light (NFL) accumulation in normal aging as well as in preclinical and clinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) and assessed individual differences in NFL load in relation to cognition and brain white-matter integrity. METHODS We analyzed longitudinal data covering 30 years (1988-2017). Cognitive testing was done up to six times. Plasma NFL was quantified for controls and 142 cases who developed AD over time, and longitudinal changes in NFL were quantified for 100 individuals with three brain-imaging sessions. RESULTS Longitudinal analyses revealed age-related NFL increases with marked variability. AD cases had elevated NFL levels, while no significant group differences were seen in the preclinical phase. Variability in NFL levels showed non-significant correlations with cognition but was associated with brain white matter. DISCUSSION Our findings suggest that elevated blood NFL, likely reflecting brain white-matter alterations, characterizes clinical AD, while NFL levels do not predict age-related cognitive impairment or impending AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Nyberg
- Department of Radiation Sciences Umeå University Umeå Sweden
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology Umeå University Umeå Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI) Umeå University Umeå Sweden
| | - Anders Lundquist
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI) Umeå University Umeå Sweden
- Department of Statistics USBE Umeå University Umeå Sweden
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Umeå Sweden
| | | | - Micael Andersson
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology Umeå University Umeå Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI) Umeå University Umeå Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology The Sahlgrenska Academy University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory Sahlgrenska University Hospital Mölndal Sweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease UCL Institute of Neurology London UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL London UK
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology The Sahlgrenska Academy University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory Sahlgrenska University Hospital Mölndal Sweden
| | - Rolf Adolfsson
- Department of Clinical Sciences Umeå University Umeå Sweden
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22
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Nyberg L, Grande X, Andersson M, Berron D, Lundquist A, Stiernstedt M, Fjell A, Walhovd K, Orädd G. Forecasting memory function in aging: pattern-completion ability and hippocampal activity relate to visuospatial functioning over 25 years. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 94:217-226. [PMID: 32650185 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Heterogeneity in episodic memory functioning in aging was assessed with a pattern-completion functional magnetic resonance imaging task that required reactivation of well-consolidated face-name memory traces from fragmented (partial) or morphed (noisy) face cues. About half of the examined individuals (N = 101) showed impaired (chance) performance on fragmented faces despite intact performance on complete and morphed faces, and they did not show a pattern-completion response in hippocampus or the examined subfields (CA1, CA23, DGCA4). This apparent pattern-completion deficit could not be explained by differential hippocampal atrophy. Instead, the impaired group displayed lower cortical volumes, accelerated reduction in mini-mental state examination scores, and lower general cognitive function as defined by longitudinal measures of visuospatial functioning and speed-of-processing. In the full sample, inter-individual differences in visuospatial functioning predicted performance on fragmented faces and hippocampal CA23 subfield activity over 25 years. These findings suggest that visuospatial functioning in middle age can forecast pattern-completion deficits in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Nyberg
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; UiO Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Xenia Grande
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Micael Andersson
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - David Berron
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anders Lundquist
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Statistics, USBE Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Mikael Stiernstedt
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anders Fjell
- UiO Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kristine Walhovd
- UiO Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Greger Orädd
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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23
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Muehlroth BE, Sander MC, Fandakova Y, Grandy TH, Rasch B, Lee Shing Y, Werkle-Bergner M. Memory quality modulates the effect of aging on memory consolidation during sleep: Reduced maintenance but intact gain. Neuroimage 2020; 209:116490. [PMID: 31883456 PMCID: PMC7068706 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Successful consolidation of associative memories relies on the coordinated interplay of slow oscillations and sleep spindles during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. This enables the transfer of labile information from the hippocampus to permanent memory stores in the neocortex. During senescence, the decline of the structural and functional integrity of the hippocampus and neocortical regions is paralleled by changes of the physiological events that stabilize and enhance associative memories during NREM sleep. However, the currently available evidence is inconclusive as to whether and under which circumstances memory consolidation is impacted during aging. To approach this question, 30 younger adults (19-28 years) and 36 older adults (63-74 years) completed a memory task based on scene-word associations. By tracing the encoding quality of participants' individual memory associations, we demonstrate that previous learning determines the extent of age-related impairments in memory consolidation. Specifically, the detrimental effects of aging on memory maintenance were greatest for mnemonic contents of intermediate encoding quality, whereas memory gain of poorly encoded memories did not differ by age. Ambulatory polysomnography (PSG) and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were acquired to extract potential predictors of memory consolidation from each participant's NREM sleep physiology and brain structure. Partial Least Squares Correlation was used to identify profiles of interdependent alterations in sleep physiology and brain structure that are characteristic for increasing age. Across age groups, both the 'aged' sleep profile, defined by decreased slow-wave activity (0.5-4.5 Hz), and a reduced presence of slow oscillations (0.5-1 Hz), slow, and fast spindles (9-12.5 Hz; 12.5-16 Hz), as well as the 'aged' brain structure profile, characterized by gray matter reductions in the medial prefrontal cortex, thalamus, entorhinal cortex, and hippocampus, were associated with reduced memory maintenance. However, inter-individual differences in neither sleep nor structural brain integrity alone qualified as the driving force behind age differences in sleep-dependent consolidation in the present study. Our results underscore the need for novel and age-fair analytic tools to provide a mechanistic understanding of age differences in memory consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beate E Muehlroth
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Myriam C Sander
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yana Fandakova
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas H Grandy
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Björn Rasch
- Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Rue P.-A.-de-Faucigny 2, 1701, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Yee Lee Shing
- Department of Developmental Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 6, 60629, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - Markus Werkle-Bergner
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
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24
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Monroy E, Diaz A, Tendilla-Beltrán H, de la Cruz F, Flores G. Bexarotene treatment increases dendritic length in the nucleus accumbens without change in the locomotor activity and memory behaviors, in old mice. J Chem Neuroanat 2019; 104:101734. [PMID: 31887346 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2019.101734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The aged brain has biochemical and morphological alterations in the dendrites of the pyramidal neurons of the limbic system, which consequently trigger motor and cognitive deficits. Bexarotene 4-[1-(3,5,5,8,8-pentamethyl-6,7-dihydronaphthalen-2-yl)ethenyl]benzoic acid is a selective agonist of X-retinoid receptors which acts by binding to the intracellular retinoic acid receptors (RAR). It decreases oxidative and inflammatory activity, in addition to the transport of lipids, mechanisms that together could have a neuroprotective effect. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of bexarotene on the motor and cognitive processes, as well as its influence on the dendritic morphology of neurons in the limbic system of elderly mice. Dendritic morphology was evaluated with the Golgi-Cox staining procedure followed by the Sholl analysis. Bexarotene was administered at different doses: 0.0; 0.5; 2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg for 60 days in 18-month-old mice. After the treatment, locomotor activity in a novel environment and spatial memory in the water labyrinth were evaluated. Mice treated with bexarotene did not show significant changes in their behavior. Moreover, bexarotene-treated mice only showed a significant increase in the density of the dendritic spines and the dendritic length in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) neurons. In conclusion, the administration of bexarotene improves the plasticity of the NAcc of aged mice, and therefore could be a pharmacological alternative to prevent or delay neuroplasticity disruptions in brain aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elibeth Monroy
- Laboratorio de Neuropsiquiatría, Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Puebla, Mexico; Departamento de Fisiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN). CDMX, Mexico
| | - Alfonso Diaz
- Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Puebla, Mexico
| | - Hiram Tendilla-Beltrán
- Laboratorio de Neuropsiquiatría, Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Puebla, Mexico; Departamento de Fisiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN). CDMX, Mexico
| | - Fidel de la Cruz
- Departamento de Fisiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN). CDMX, Mexico
| | - Gonzalo Flores
- Laboratorio de Neuropsiquiatría, Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Puebla, Mexico.
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25
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Functional and structural correlates of working memory performance and stability in healthy older adults. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 225:375-386. [PMID: 31873799 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-02009-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Despite the well-described deleterious effects of aging on cognition, some individuals are able to show stability. Here, we aimed to describe the functional and structural brain characteristics of older individuals, particularly focusing on those with stable working memory (WM) performance, as measured with a verbal N-back task across a 2-year follow-up interval. Forty-seven subjects were categorized as stables or decliners based on their WM change. Stables were further subdivided into high performers (SHP) and low performers (SLP), based on their baseline scores. At both time points, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were acquired, including task-based functional MRI (fMRI) and structural T1-MRI. Although there was no significant interaction between overall stables and decliners as regards fMRI patterns, decliners exhibited over-activation in the right superior parietal lobule at follow-up as compared to baseline, while SHP showed reduced the activity in this region. Further, at follow-up, decliners exhibited more activity than SHP but in left temporo-parietal cortex and posterior cingulate (i.e., non-task-related areas). Also, at the cross-sectional level, SLP showed lower activity than SHP at both time points and less activity than decliners at follow-up. Concerning brain structure, a generalized significant cortical thinning over time was identified for the whole sample. Notwithstanding, the decliners evidenced a greater rate of atrophy comprising the posterior middle and inferior temporal gyrus as compared to the stable group. Overall, fMRI data suggest unsuccessful compensation in the case of decliners, shown as increases in functional recruitment during the task in the context of a loss in WM performance and brain atrophy. On the other hand, among older individuals with WM cognitive stability, differences in baseline performance might determine dissimilar fMRI trajectories. In this vein, the findings in the SHP subgroup support the brain maintenance hypothesis, suggesting that stable and high WM performance in aging is sustained by functional efficiency and maintained brain structure rather than compensatory changes.
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26
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Oschwald J, Guye S, Liem F. Brain structure and cognitive ability in healthy aging: a review on longitudinal correlated change. Rev Neurosci 2019; 31:1-57. [PMID: 31194693 PMCID: PMC8572130 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2018-0096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Little is still known about the neuroanatomical substrates related to changes in specific cognitive abilities in the course of healthy aging, and the existing evidence is predominantly based on cross-sectional studies. However, to understand the intricate dynamics between developmental changes in brain structure and changes in cognitive ability, longitudinal studies are needed. In the present article, we review the current longitudinal evidence on correlated changes between magnetic resonance imaging-derived measures of brain structure (e.g. gray matter/white matter volume, cortical thickness), and laboratory-based measures of fluid cognitive ability (e.g. intelligence, memory, processing speed) in healthy older adults. To theoretically embed the discussion, we refer to the revised Scaffolding Theory of Aging and Cognition. We found 31 eligible articles, with sample sizes ranging from n = 25 to n = 731 (median n = 104), and participant age ranging from 19 to 103. Several of these studies report positive correlated changes for specific regions and specific cognitive abilities (e.g. between structures of the medial temporal lobe and episodic memory). However, the number of studies presenting converging evidence is small, and the large methodological variability between studies precludes general conclusions. Methodological and theoretical limitations are discussed. Clearly, more empirical evidence is needed to advance the field. Therefore, we provide guidance for future researchers by presenting ideas to stimulate theory and methods for development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Oschwald
- University Research Priority Program ‘Dynamics of Healthy Aging’, University of Zurich, Andreasstrasse 15, CH-8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sabrina Guye
- University Research Priority Program ‘Dynamics of Healthy Aging’, University of Zurich, Andreasstrasse 15, CH-8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Franziskus Liem
- University Research Priority Program ‘Dynamics of Healthy Aging’, University of Zurich, Andreasstrasse 15, CH-8050 Zurich, Switzerland
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27
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Mravunac M, Szymlek-Gay EA, Daly RM, Roberts BR, Formica M, Gianoudis J, O'Connell SL, Nowson CA, Cardoso BR. Greater Circulating Copper Concentrations and Copper/Zinc Ratios are Associated with Lower Psychological Distress, But Not Cognitive Performance, in a Sample of Australian Older Adults. Nutrients 2019; 11:nu11102503. [PMID: 31627408 PMCID: PMC6836146 DOI: 10.3390/nu11102503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Dyshomeostasis of copper and zinc is linked to neurodegeneration. This study investigated the relationship between circulating copper and zinc and copper/zinc ratios and cognitive function, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and neurotrophic factors in older Australian adults. In this cross-sectional study (n = 139), plasma copper, serum zinc, and neurotrophic factors (brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), vascular endothelial growth factor, and insulin-like growth factor-1) were assessed. Cognition was assessed using the Cogstate battery and the Behavior Rating Inventory (BRI) of Executive Function (Adult version). Symptoms of anxiety and depression were assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Copper (β = −0.024; 95% CI = −0.044, −0.004; p = 0.019) and copper/zinc ratio (β = −1.99; 95% CI = −3.41, −0.57; p = 0.006) were associated with lower depressive symptoms, but not cognition. Plasma copper had a modest positive association with BDNF (β = −0.004; 95% CI = 0.000, 0.007; p = 0.021). Zinc was not associated with any of the outcomes. In conclusion, greater circulating copper concentrations and higher copper/zinc ratios were associated with lower depressive symptoms (but not cognition), with copper also positively associated with BDNF concentration, in a sample of community-dwelling older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Mravunac
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.
| | - Ewa A Szymlek-Gay
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.
- Nutrition Society of Australia, PO Box 576, Crows Nest, NSW 1585, Australia.
| | - Robin M Daly
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.
| | - Blaine R Roberts
- Melbourne Dementia Research Centre, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
| | - Melissa Formica
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.
| | - Jenny Gianoudis
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.
| | - Stella L O'Connell
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.
| | - Caryl A Nowson
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.
- Nutrition Society of Australia, PO Box 576, Crows Nest, NSW 1585, Australia.
| | - Barbara R Cardoso
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.
- Melbourne Dementia Research Centre, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University, Notting Hill, VIC 3128, Australia.
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28
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Nyberg L, Andersson M, Lundquist A, Salami A, Wåhlin A. Frontal Contribution to Hippocampal Hyperactivity During Memory Encoding in Aging. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:229. [PMID: 31680849 PMCID: PMC6798051 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Hippocampal hypo- as well as hyper-activation have been reported during memory encoding in older individuals. Prefrontal cortex (PFC) provides top-down state signals to the hippocampus that bias its computation during memory encoding and retrieval, and disturbed top-down signals could contribute to hippocampal hyper-activation. Here, we used >500 cross-sectional and longitudinal observations from a face-name encoding-retrieval fMRI task to examine hippocampal hypo- and hyper-activation in aging. Age-related anterior hippocampal hypo-activation was observed during memory encoding. Next, older individuals who longitudinally dropped-out were compared with those who remained in the study. Older dropouts had lower memory performance and higher dementia risk, and hyper-activated right anterior and posterior hippocampus during memory encoding. During encoding, the dropouts also activated right prefrontal regions that instead were active during retrieval in younger and older remainers. Moreover, the dropouts showed altered frontal-hippocampal functional connectivity, notably elevated right PFC to anterior hippocampus (aHC) connectivity during encoding. In the context of a general pattern of age-related anterior hippocampal hypo-activation during encoding, these findings support a top-down contribution to paradoxically high anterior hippocampal activity in older dropouts who were at elevated risk of pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Nyberg
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Micael Andersson
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anders Lundquist
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Statistics, School of Business, Economics and Statistics, USBE Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Alireza Salami
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden.,Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anders Wåhlin
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Abellaneda-Pérez K, Vaqué-Alcázar L, Solé-Padullés C, Bartrés-Faz D. Combining non-invasive brain stimulation with functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the neural substrates of cognitive aging. J Neurosci Res 2019; 100:1159-1170. [PMID: 31418480 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
As aging population is increasing, new methodologies to apprehend and enhance the mechanisms related to optimal brain function in advancing age become urgent. This review describes how the combined use of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) provides novel experimental data on the putative neurophysiological mechanisms underlying inter-individual differences in cognitive status among older adults, also further illuminating our understanding of theoretical models proposed within the cognitive neuroscience of aging literature. In addition, it explores published evidence of how this combined procedure entails the capacity to modify the activity and connectivity of specific brain networks in older adults, potentially leading to improvements in cognitive function and other measures reflecting mental health status. Although additional research is needed, combining NIBS with fMRI might provide innovative understanding of how fundamental brain plasticity mechanisms operate in advancing age, a knowledge that may be eventually used to refine more individually tailored approaches to promote brain health in aged populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kilian Abellaneda-Pérez
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lídia Vaqué-Alcázar
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Solé-Padullés
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Bartrés-Faz
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
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30
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Cabral DF, Rice J, Morris TP, Rundek T, Pascual-Leone A, Gomes-Osman J. Exercise for Brain Health: An Investigation into the Underlying Mechanisms Guided by Dose. Neurotherapeutics 2019; 16:580-599. [PMID: 31197642 PMCID: PMC6694330 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-019-00749-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a strong link between the practice of regular physical exercise and maintenance of cognitive brain health. Animal and human studies have shown that exercise exerts positive effects on cognition through a variety of mechanisms, such as changes in brain volume and connectivity, cerebral perfusion, synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, and regulation of trophic factors. However, much of this data has been conducted in young humans and animals, raising questions regarding the generalizability of these findings to aging adults. Furthermore, it is not clear at which doses these effects might take place, and if effects would differ with varying exercise modes (such as aerobic, resistance training, combinations, or other). The purpose of this review is to summarize the evidence on the effects of exercise interventions on various mechanisms believed to support cognitive improvements: cerebral perfusion, synaptic neuroplasticity, brain volume and connectivity, neurogenesis, and regulation of trophic factors. We synthesized the findings according to exposure to exercise (short- [1 day-16 weeks], medium- [24-40 weeks], and long-term exercise [52 weeks and beyond]) and have limited our discussion of dose effects to studies in aging adults and aged animals (when human data was not available).
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Affiliation(s)
- Danylo F Cabral
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 5915 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, 5th Floor, Coral Gables, Florida, 33146, USA
- Evelyn McKnight Brain Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1150 Northwest 14th Street, Suite 309, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA
| | - Jordyn Rice
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 5915 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, 5th Floor, Coral Gables, Florida, 33146, USA
- Evelyn McKnight Brain Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1150 Northwest 14th Street, Suite 309, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA
| | - Timothy P Morris
- Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA
| | - Tatjana Rundek
- Evelyn McKnight Brain Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1150 Northwest 14th Street, Suite 309, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1150 Northwest 14th Street, Suite 309, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA
| | - Alvaro Pascual-Leone
- Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA
| | - Joyce Gomes-Osman
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 5915 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, 5th Floor, Coral Gables, Florida, 33146, USA.
- Evelyn McKnight Brain Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1150 Northwest 14th Street, Suite 309, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA.
- Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA.
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1150 Northwest 14th Street, Suite 309, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA.
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31
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Massimo L, Xie SX, Rennert L, Fick DM, Halpin A, Placek K, Williams A, Rascovsky K, Irwin DJ, Grossman M, McMillan CT. Occupational attainment influences longitudinal decline in behavioral variant frontotemporal degeneration. Brain Imaging Behav 2019. [PMID: 29542053 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-018-9852-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
To evaluate whether occupational attainment influences the trajectory of longitudinal cognitive decline in behavioral variant frontotemporal degeneration (bvFTD). Single-center, retrospective, longitudinal study. Sixty-three patients meeting consensus criteria for bvFTD underwent evaluation at the University of Pennsylvania Frontotemporal Degeneration Center. All patients were studied longitudinally on letter-guided fluency, category-naming fluency and Boston Naming Test (BNT). Occupational attainment was defined categorically by assigning each individual's occupation to a professional or non-professional category. Linear mixed-effects models evaluated the interaction of neuropsychological performance change with occupational status. Regression analyses were used to relate longitudinal decline in executive function to baseline MRI grey matter atrophy. Higher occupational status was associated with a more severe slope of cognitive decline on letter-guided fluency and category-naming fluency, but not BNT. Faster rates of longitudinal decline on letter-guided and category-naming fluency were associated with more severe baseline grey matter atrophy in right dorsolateral and inferior frontal regions. Our longitudinal findings suggest that bvFTD individuals with higher lifetime cognitive experience demonstrate more rapid decline on measures of executive function. This finding converges with cross-sectional evidence suggesting that lifetime cognitive experiences contribute to heterogeneity in clinical progression in bvFTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Massimo
- Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, 3 West Gates, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- The Pennsylvania State University, College of Nursing, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Sharon X Xie
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lior Rennert
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Donna M Fick
- The Pennsylvania State University, College of Nursing, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Amy Halpin
- Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, 3 West Gates, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Katerina Placek
- Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, 3 West Gates, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Andrew Williams
- Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, 3 West Gates, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Katya Rascovsky
- Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, 3 West Gates, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - David J Irwin
- Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, 3 West Gates, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Murray Grossman
- Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, 3 West Gates, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Corey T McMillan
- Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, 3 West Gates, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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Toro CA, Zhang L, Cao J, Cai D. Sex differences in Alzheimer's disease: Understanding the molecular impact. Brain Res 2019; 1719:194-207. [PMID: 31129153 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder that presents with cognitive impairment and behavioral disturbance. Approximately 5.5 million people in the United States live with AD, most of whom are over the age of 65 with two-thirds being woman. There have been major advancements over the last decade or so in the understanding of AD neuropathological changes and genetic involvement. However, studies of sex impact in AD have not been adequately integrated into the investigation of disease development and progression. It becomes indispensable to acknowledge in both basic science and clinical research studies the importance of understanding sex-specific differences in AD pathophysiology and pathogenesis, which could guide future effort in the discovery of novel targets for AD. Here, we review the latest and most relevant literature on this topic, highlighting the importance of understanding sex dimorphism from a molecular perspective and its association to clinical trial design and development in AD research field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Toro
- National Center for the Medical Consequences of Spinal Cord Injury, James J Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, United States; Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States.
| | - Larry Zhang
- Research and Development, James J Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, United States; Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Jiqing Cao
- Research and Development, James J Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, United States; Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States.
| | - Dongming Cai
- Research and Development, James J Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, United States; Neurology Section, James J Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, United States; Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States.
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Lundervold AJ, Vik A, Lundervold A. Lateral ventricle volume trajectories predict response inhibition in older age-A longitudinal brain imaging and machine learning approach. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0207967. [PMID: 30939173 PMCID: PMC6445521 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective In a three-wave 6 yrs longitudinal study we investigated if the expansion of lateral ventricle (LV) volumes (regarded as a proxy for brain tissue loss) predicts third wave performance on a test of response inhibition (RI). Participants and methods Trajectories of left and right lateral ventricle volumes across the three waves were quantified using the longitudinal stream in Freesurfer. All participants (N = 74;48 females;mean age 66.0 yrs at the third wave) performed the Color-Word Interference Test (CWIT). Response time on the third condition of CWIT, divided into fast, medium and slow, was used as outcome measure in a machine learning framework. Initially, we performed a linear mixed-effect (LME) analysis to describe subject-specific trajectories of the left and right LV volumes (LVV). These features were input to a multinomial logistic regression classification procedure, predicting individual belongings to one of the three RI classes. To obtain results that might generalize, we evaluated the significance of a k-fold cross-validated f1-score with a permutation test, providing a p-value that approximates the probability that the score would be obtained by chance. We also calculated a corresponding confusion matrix. Results The LME-model showed an annual ∼ 3.0% LVV increase. Evaluation of a cross-validated score using 500 permutations gave an f1-score of 0.462 that was above chance level (p = 0.014). 56% of the fast performers were successfully classified. All these were females, and typically older than 65 yrs at inclusion. For the true slow performers, those being correctly classified had higher LVVs than those being misclassified, and their ages at inclusion were also higher. Conclusion Major contributions were: (i) a longitudinal design, (ii) advanced brain imaging and segmentation procedures with longitudinal data analysis, and (iii) a data driven machine learning approach including cross-validation and permutation testing to predict behaviour, solely from the individual’s brain “signatures” (LVV trajectories).
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Affiliation(s)
- Astri J. Lundervold
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Alexandra Vik
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Arvid Lundervold
- Mohn Medical Imaging and Visualization Centre, Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Norway
- * E-mail:
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34
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Zhao X, Wu Q, Chen Y, Song X, Ni H, Ming D. The Conjoint Analysis of Microstructural and Morphological Changes of Gray Matter During Aging. Front Neurol 2019; 10:184. [PMID: 30930828 PMCID: PMC6423803 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Macromorphological and microstructural changes of gray matter (GM) happen during brain normal aging. However, the mechanism of macro-microstructure association is still unclear, which is of guidance for understanding many neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, adopting structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), GM aging pattern was characterized and its macro-microstructure associations were revealed. For 60 subjects among the ages of 47-79, the DKI and T1-weighted images were investigated with voxel-based analysis. The results showed age-related overlapped patterns between morphological and microstructural alterations during normal aging. It was worth noting that morphological changes and mean diffusivity (MD) indexes abnormalities mainly overlapped in the following regions, superior frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, cingulum gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, insula, and thalamus. Besides, overlapped with GM atrophies, mean kurtosis (MK) abnormalities were observed in superior frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, transverse temporal gyrus, insula, and thalamus. What important was that intrinsic aging independent associations between macrostructure and microstructure were found especially in media superior frontal gyrus, which revealed the potential mechanisms in the process of aging. The physiological mechanism may be associated with the elimination of neurons and synapses and the shrinkage of large neurons. Understanding the associations of GM volume changes and microstructural changes can account for the underlying mechanisms of aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Precision Instruments and Optoelectronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Qiong Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Precision Instruments and Optoelectronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuanyuan Chen
- Tianjin International Joint Research Center for Neural Engineering, Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xizi Song
- Tianjin International Joint Research Center for Neural Engineering, Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Hongyan Ni
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin First Center Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Dong Ming
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Precision Instruments and Optoelectronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin International Joint Research Center for Neural Engineering, Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
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Abstract
For more than 50 years, psychologists, gerontologists, and, more recently, neuroscientists have considered the possibility of successful aging. How to define successful aging remains debated, but well-preserved age-sensitive cognitive functions, like episodic memory, is an often-suggested criterion. Evidence for successful memory aging comes from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies showing that some older individuals display high and stable levels of performance. Successful memory aging may be accomplished via multiple paths. One path is through brain maintenance, or relative lack of age-related brain pathology. Through another path, successful memory aging can be accomplished despite brain pathology by means of efficient compensatory and strategic processes. Genetic, epigenetic, and lifestyle factors influence memory aging via both paths. Some of these factors can be promoted throughout the life course, which, at the individual as well as the societal level, can positively impact successful memory aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Nyberg
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Sara Pudas
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
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36
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Jacobs EG, Goldstein JM. The Middle-Aged Brain: Biological sex and sex hormones shape memory circuitry. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2018; 23:84-91. [PMID: 30271832 PMCID: PMC6157917 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2018.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emily G. Jacobs
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara
| | - Jill M. Goldstein
- Departments of Psychiatry and Medicine, Harvard Medical School
- Departments of Psychiatry and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Athinoula A. Martinos Brain Imaging Center, Massachusetts General Hospital
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37
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Vidal-Piñeiro D, Sneve MH, Nyberg LH, Mowinckel AM, Sederevicius D, Walhovd KB, Fjell AM. Maintained Frontal Activity Underlies High Memory Function Over 8 Years in Aging. Cereb Cortex 2018; 29:3111-3123. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Revised: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractAging is characterized by substantial average decline in memory performance. Yet contradictory explanations have been given for how the brains of high-performing older adults work: either by engagement of compensatory processes such as recruitment of additional networks or by maintaining young adults’ patterns of activity. Distinguishing these components requires large experimental samples and longitudinal follow-up. Here, we investigate which features are key to high memory in aging, directly testing these hypotheses by studying a large sample of adult participants (n > 300) with fMRI during an episodic memory experiment where item-context relationships were implicitly encoded. The analyses revealed that low levels of activity in frontal networks—known to be involved in memory encoding—were associated with low memory performance in the older adults only. Importantly, older participants with low memory performance and low frontal activity exhibited a strong longitudinal memory decline in an independent verbal episodic memory task spanning 8 years back (n = 52). These participants were also characterized by lower hippocampal volumes and steeper rates of cortical atrophy. Altogether, maintenance of frontal brain function during encoding seems to be a primary characteristic of preservation of memory function in aging, likely reflecting intact ability to integrate information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Didac Vidal-Piñeiro
- Centre for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Markus H Sneve
- Centre for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lars H Nyberg
- Umeå Centre for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå SE-901 87, Sweden
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Physiology Section and Department of Radiation Sciences, Diagnostic Radiology, Umeå University, Umeå SE-901 87, Sweden
| | - Athanasia M Mowinckel
- Centre for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Donatas Sederevicius
- Centre for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kristine B Walhovd
- Centre for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anders M Fjell
- Centre for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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38
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Baniqued PL, Gallen CL, Voss MW, Burzynska AZ, Wong CN, Cooke GE, Duffy K, Fanning J, Ehlers DK, Salerno EA, Aguiñaga S, McAuley E, Kramer AF, D'Esposito M. Brain Network Modularity Predicts Exercise-Related Executive Function Gains in Older Adults. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 9:426. [PMID: 29354050 PMCID: PMC5758542 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent work suggests that the brain can be conceptualized as a network comprised of groups of sub-networks or modules. The extent of segregation between modules can be quantified with a modularity metric, where networks with high modularity have dense connections within modules and sparser connections between modules. Previous work has shown that higher modularity predicts greater improvements after cognitive training in patients with traumatic brain injury and in healthy older and young adults. It is not known, however, whether modularity can also predict cognitive gains after a physical exercise intervention. Here, we quantified modularity in older adults (N = 128, mean age = 64.74) who underwent one of the following interventions for 6 months (NCT01472744 on ClinicalTrials.gov): (1) aerobic exercise in the form of brisk walking (Walk), (2) aerobic exercise in the form of brisk walking plus nutritional supplement (Walk+), (3) stretching, strengthening and stability (SSS), or (4) dance instruction. After the intervention, the Walk, Walk+ and SSS groups showed gains in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), with larger effects in both walking groups compared to the SSS and Dance groups. The Walk, Walk+ and SSS groups also improved in executive function (EF) as measured by reasoning, working memory, and task-switching tests. In the Walk, Walk+, and SSS groups that improved in EF, higher baseline modularity was positively related to EF gains, even after controlling for age, in-scanner motion and baseline EF. No relationship between modularity and EF gains was observed in the Dance group, which did not show training-related gains in CRF or EF control. These results are consistent with previous studies demonstrating that individuals with a more modular brain network organization are more responsive to cognitive training. These findings suggest that the predictive power of modularity may be generalizable across interventions aimed to enhance aspects of cognition and that, especially in low-performing individuals, global network properties can capture individual differences in neuroplasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline L. Baniqued
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Courtney L. Gallen
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Michelle W. Voss
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Agnieszka Z. Burzynska
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Chelsea N. Wong
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Gillian E. Cooke
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Kristin Duffy
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Jason Fanning
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Department of Internal Medicine-Gerontology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Diane K. Ehlers
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Elizabeth A. Salerno
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Susan Aguiñaga
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Edward McAuley
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Arthur F. Kramer
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Psychology Department and Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Mark D'Esposito
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
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