Brain Structural Variability due to Aging and Gender in Cognitively Healthy Elders: Results from the Sao Paulo Ageing and Health Study

Author(s):Show less -

Curiati, P. K. ^[1] ; Tamashiro, J. H. ^{[1, 2]} ; Squarzoni, P. ^[1] ; Duran, F. L. S. ^[1] ; Santos, L. C. ^[1] ; Wajngarten, M. ^[3] ; Leite, C. C. ^[4] ; Vallada, H. ^[1] ; Menezes, P. R. ^{[5, 6]} ; Scazufca, M. ^{[7, 6]} ; Busatto, G. F. ^[1] ; Alves, T. C. T. F. ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Med, Neuroimaging Psychiat Lab, Dept Psychiat, LIM 21, BR-05403010 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] ABC Reg Med Sch, Dept Psychiat, Sando Andre - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Med, Div Cardiogeriatr, Inst Heart, BR-05403010 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Med, Dept Radiol, BR-05403010 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[5] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Med, Dept Prevent Med, BR-05403010 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[6] Univ Sao Paulo, Univ Hosp, Epidemiol Sect, BR-05403010 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[7] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Med, Clin Hosp, Dept Psychiat, LIM 23, BR-05403010 Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF NEURORADIOLOGY; v. 30, n. 10, p. 1850-1856, NOV-DEC 2009.
• Web of Science Citations: 39

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Several morphometric MR imaging studies have investigated age- and sex-related cerebral volume changes in healthy human brains, most often by using samples spanning several decades of life and linear correlation methods. This study aimed to map the normal pattern of regional age-related volumetric reductions specifically in the elderly population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred thirty-two eligible individuals (67-75 years of age) were selected from a community-based sample recruited for the Sao Paulo Ageing and Health (SPAH) study, and a cross-sectional MR imaging investigation was performed concurrently with the second SPAH wave. We used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to conduct a voxelwise search for significant linear correlations between gray matter (GM) volumes and age. In addition, region-of-interest masks were used to investigate whether the relationship between regional GM (rGM) volumes and age would be best predicted by a nonlinear model. RESULTS: VBM and region-of-interest analyses revealed selective foci of accelerated rGM loss exclusively in men, involving the temporal neocortex, prefrontal cortex, and medial temporal region. The only structure in which GM volumetric changes were best predicted by a nonlinear model was the left parahippocampal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: The variable patterns of age-related GM loss across separate neocortical and temporolimbic regions highlight the complexity of degenerative processes that affect the healthy human brain across the life span. The detection of age-related Ill GM decrease in men supports the view that atrophy in such regions should be seen as compatible with normal aging. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 04/15336-5 - Brain abnormalities associated with cardiovascular risk factors: a population-based study using voxel-a-voxel morphometry by magnetic resonance and measures of glucose metabolism by positron-emission tomography
• Grantee: Geraldo Busatto Filho
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 06/04405-1 - MRI age-related changes: gray and white matter measurements by voxel based morphometry in the elderly population
• Grantee: Pedro Kallas Curiati
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• FAPESP's process: 04/12694-8 - Incidence of dementia and cognitive decline in low-income elderly in São Paulo: a cohort study
• Grantee: Isabela Judith Martins Bensenor
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants