Diffusion tensor imaging of cerebral white matter integrity in cognitive aging.
Abstract
In this article we review recent research on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of white
matter (WM) integrity and the implications for age-related differences in cognition.
Neurobiological mechanisms defined from DTI analyses suggest that a primary dimension
of age-related decline in WM is a decline in the structural integrity of myelin, particularly
in brain regions that myelinate later developmentally. Research integrating behavioral
measures with DTI indicates that WM integrity supports the communication among cortical
networks, particularly those involving executive function, perceptual speed, and memory
(i.e., fluid cognition). In the absence of significant disease, age shares a substantial
portion of the variance associated with the relation between WM integrity and fluid
cognition. Current data are consistent with one model in which age-related decline
in WM integrity contributes to a decreased efficiency of communication among networks
for fluid cognitive abilities. Neurocognitive disorders for which older adults are
at risk, such as depression, further modulate the relation between WM and cognition,
in ways that are not as yet entirely clear. Developments in DTI technology are providing
a new insight into both the neurobiological mechanisms of aging WM and the potential
contribution of DTI to understanding functional measures of brain activity. This article
is part of a Special Issue entitled: Imaging Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative disease.
Type
Journal articleSubject
Nerve Fibers, MyelinatedHumans
Cognition
Cognition Disorders
Age Factors
Cerebrum
Diffusion Tensor Imaging
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/22541Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1016/j.bbadis.2011.08.003Publication Info
Madden, David J; Bennett, Ilana J; Burzynska, Agnieszka; Potter, Guy G; Chen, Nan-Kuei;
& Song, Allen W (2012). Diffusion tensor imaging of cerebral white matter integrity in cognitive aging. Biochimica et biophysica acta, 1822(3). pp. 386-400. 10.1016/j.bbadis.2011.08.003. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/22541.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.
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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
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
Guy Glenn Potter
Associate Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Allen W Song
Professor in Radiology
The research in our lab is concerned with advancing structural and functional MRI
methodologies (e.g. fast and high-resolution imaging techniques) for human brain imaging.
We also aim to improve our understanding of functional brain signals, including spatiotemporal
characterizations of the blood oxygenation level dependent contrast and alternative
contrast mechanisms that are more directly linked to the neuronal activities. Additional
effort is invested in applying and validating the de
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