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Structural Brain Changes in Aging: Courses, Causes and Cognitive Consequences

Structural Brain Changes in Aging: Courses, Causes and Cognitive Consequences © Freund & Pettman, U.K. RcviewsintheNeurosciences21,187-221 (2010) Anders M Fjell and Kristine B Walhovd Center for the Study of Human Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway SYNOPSIS The structure of the brain is constantly changing from birth throughout the lifetime, meaning that normal aging, free from dementia, is associated with structural brain changes. This paper reviews recent evidence from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies about agerelated changes in the brain. The main conclusions are that (1) the brain shrinks in volume and the ventricular system expands in healthy aging. However, the pattern of changes is highly heterogeneous, with the largest changes seen in the frontal and temporal cortex, and in the putamen, thalamns, and accumbens. With modern approaches to analysis of MRI data, changes in cortical thickness and subcortical volume can be tracked over periods as short as one year, with annual reductions of between 0.5% and 1.0% in most brain areas. (2) The volumetric brain reductions in healthy aging are likely only to a minor extent related to neuronal loss. Rather, shrinkage of neurons, reductions of synaptic spines, and lower numbers of synapses probably account for the reductions in grey matter. In addition, the length http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Reviews in the Neurosciences de Gruyter

Structural Brain Changes in Aging: Courses, Causes and Cognitive Consequences

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Publisher
de Gruyter
Copyright
Copyright © 2010 by the
ISSN
2191-0200
eISSN
2191-0200
DOI
10.1515/REVNEURO.2010.21.3.187
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

© Freund & Pettman, U.K. RcviewsintheNeurosciences21,187-221 (2010) Anders M Fjell and Kristine B Walhovd Center for the Study of Human Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway SYNOPSIS The structure of the brain is constantly changing from birth throughout the lifetime, meaning that normal aging, free from dementia, is associated with structural brain changes. This paper reviews recent evidence from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies about agerelated changes in the brain. The main conclusions are that (1) the brain shrinks in volume and the ventricular system expands in healthy aging. However, the pattern of changes is highly heterogeneous, with the largest changes seen in the frontal and temporal cortex, and in the putamen, thalamns, and accumbens. With modern approaches to analysis of MRI data, changes in cortical thickness and subcortical volume can be tracked over periods as short as one year, with annual reductions of between 0.5% and 1.0% in most brain areas. (2) The volumetric brain reductions in healthy aging are likely only to a minor extent related to neuronal loss. Rather, shrinkage of neurons, reductions of synaptic spines, and lower numbers of synapses probably account for the reductions in grey matter. In addition, the length

Journal

Reviews in the Neurosciencesde Gruyter

Published: Jun 1, 2010

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