Sources of disconnection in neurocognitive aging: cerebral white-matter integrity, resting-state functional connectivity, and white-matter hyperintensity volume.
Abstract
Age-related decline in fluid cognition can be characterized as a disconnection among
specific brain structures, leading to a decline in functional efficiency. The potential
sources of disconnection, however, are unclear. We investigated imaging measures of
cerebral white-matter integrity, resting-state functional connectivity, and white-matter
hyperintensity volume as mediators of the relation between age and fluid cognition,
in 145 healthy, community-dwelling adults 19-79 years of age. At a general level of
analysis, with a single composite measure of fluid cognition and single measures of
each of the 3 imaging modalities, age exhibited an independent influence on the cognitive
and imaging measures, and the imaging variables did not mediate the age-cognition
relation. At a more specific level of analysis, resting-state functional connectivity
of sensorimotor networks was a significant mediator of the age-related decline in
executive function. These findings suggest that different levels of analysis lead
to different models of neurocognitive disconnection, and that resting-state functional
connectivity, in particular, may contribute to age-related decline in executive function.
Type
Journal articleSubject
CognitionCortex
Diffusion tensor imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging
Mediation
Adult
Aged
Cognition
Cognitive Aging
Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Executive Function
Female
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Middle Aged
Rest
Sensorimotor Cortex
White Matter
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/15954Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.01.027Publication Info
Madden, David J; Parks, Emily L; Tallman, Catherine W; Boylan, Maria A; Hoagey, David
A; Cocjin, Sally B; ... Diaz, Michele T (2017). Sources of disconnection in neurocognitive aging: cerebral white-matter integrity,
resting-state functional connectivity, and white-matter hyperintensity volume. Neurobiol Aging, 54. pp. 199-213. 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.01.027. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/15954.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
Collections
More Info
Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Nan-kuei Chen
Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Radiology
Dr. Chen is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) physicist with research interest in
fast image acquisition methodology, pulse sequence design, MRI artifact correction,
and application of MRI to studies of neurological diseases. He has been developing
novel high-resolution imaging protocols and analysis procedures for mapping structural
and functional connectivity of brains. More generally, Dr. Chen's research involves
the application of MRI in translational contexts. He has been serving as the pr
Ying-hui Chou
Medical Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
David Joseph Madden
Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
My research focuses primarily on the cognitive neuroscience of aging: the investigation
of age-related changes in perception, attention, and memory, using both behavioral
measures and neuroimaging techniques, including positron emission tomography (PET),
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
The behavioral measures have focused on reaction time, with the goal of distinguishing
age-related changes in specific cognitive abilities from mo
Zachary Monge
Research Assistant, Ph D Student
Emily L Parks
Lecturing Fellow of Thompson Writing Program
Guy Glenn Potter
Associate Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Alphabetical list of authors with Scholars@Duke profiles.

Articles written by Duke faculty are made available through the campus open access policy. For more information see: Duke Open Access Policy
Rights for Collection: Scholarly Articles
Works are deposited here by their authors, and represent their research and opinions, not that of Duke University. Some materials and descriptions may include offensive content. More info