Brain structural variability due to aging and gender: a voxel-based-morphometry study based on legacy data magnetic resonance images of healthy individuals

• Grant number: 09/11187-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2009
• End date: February 28, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Psychiatry
• Principal Investigator: Geraldo Busatto Filho
• Grantee: Priscila Gonçalves Serrano
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Age-related cerebral volumetric changes have gained importance due to current increase in the elderly population and, consequently, in the burden of neuro-degenerative diseases. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to accurately define a profile of brain aging in healthy individuals and, therefore, contribute in the understanding of pathological processes and in the development of early diagnostic markers. Objectives: Our primary purpose is to describe an accurate profile of brain structural variability due to age and gender in a large sample of healthy adults. Methods: MRI images of healthy individuals will be drawn from a database of previous neuroimaging studies conducted at the Neuroimaging in Psychiatry Laboratory from the Clinical Hospital of the São Paulo University Medical School. Imaging data will be processed through the use of the Statistical Parametric Mapping 5 (SPM 5) software and the MATLAB R2008a platform. Regarding the statistical analysis, SPM software will be used for a voxel-based search for positive and negative linear correlations between age and gray or white matter volumes across the entire sample.