Work

Diffusion tensor metrics, T2 relaxation, and volumetry of the naturally aging human caudate nuclei in healthy young and middle‐aged adults: Possible implications for the neurobiology of human brain aging and disease

Year: 2007

Type: article

Abstract: In this study of a cohort of 33 young and middle-age adults (19-59 years) we report simultaneous measurements of normal age-related changes in the caudate nuclei volume, diffusion tensor metrics, and T(2) relaxation time. Both the absolute caudate volume and its ratio relative to the total intracranial volume decreased rapidly with age in both men and women (r = -0.55; P < 0.001). The fractional diffusion tensor anisotropy of the caudate nuclei increased with age in both males and females (r = 0.48; P = 0.005). The corresponding age correlations of the caudate axial (r = 0.17; P = 0.35), transverse (r = -0.12; P = 0.50), mean diffusivities (r = 0.018; P = 0.92), and T(2) relaxation times (r = 0.194; P = 0.28) were weaker and did not reach statistical significance (P > 0.05). Our preliminary findings warrant further studies on the older and aging adults and indicate that caudate diffusion tensor imaging-derived metrics can be used as surrogates in modeling the neuronal substrates of gray matter atrophy.

Source: Magnetic Resonance in Medicine

DOI: 10.1002/mrm.21434

Authors: Khader M. Hasan, Christopher Halphen, Michael D. Boska, Ponnada A. Narayana

Institutions: The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications

Subfield: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Center for Research Resources