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Decline of fiber tract integrity over the adult age range: A diffusion spectrum imaging study
Author(s) -
Teipel Stefan J.,
Lerche Maximilian,
Kilimann Ingo,
O'Brien Kieran,
Grothe Michel,
Meyer Peter,
Li Xingfeng,
Sänger Peter,
Hauenstein Karlheinz
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.24420
Subject(s) - fractional anisotropy , white matter , diffusion mri , voxel , corpus callosum , atrophy , fiber tract , medicine , tractography , nuclear medicine , pathology , neuroscience , magnetic resonance imaging , psychology , radiology
Purpose We applied a novel diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) acquisition to determine associations between aging and subcortical fiber tract integrity. Materials and Methods We studied 35 cognitively healthy subjects (17 women), spanning the adult age range between 23 and 77 years, using anatomical MRI and a novel DSI acquisition scheme at 3 Tesla. The study was approved by the local institutional review board. DSI data were analyzed using tractography and complementary voxel‐based analysis of generalized fractional anisotropy (GFA) maps. We determined the effects of age on generalized fractional anisotropy in selected fiber tracts as well as in a whole brain voxel‐based analysis. For comparison, we studied the effects of age on regional gray and white matter volumes. Results We found a significant reduction in anterior corpus callosum fiber tract integrity with age ( P < 0.001), as well as significant GFA reduction throughout the subcortical white matter ( P < 0.05, false discovery rate [FDR] corrected). GFA decline was accompanied by significant gray matter atrophy in frontal and temporal association cortex ( P < 0.05, FDR corrected). Conclusion Our data suggest that normal aging leads to a regionally specific decline in fiber tract integrity. DSI may become a useful biomarker in healthy and pathological aging. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2014;40:348–359 . © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc .