Comparing Young and Old Brains
December 7th, 2007 Posted by: Dr. Cox
(Ivanhoe Newswire) â Older people often joke that they have lost their mind, well, a new study confirms they might be right. The study compared brains of old and young people and found normal aging may cause cognitive decline due to deterioration of connections among large-scale brain systems. Study authors specifically linked the deterioration to a decrease in the integrity of the brainâs white matter. The white matter is the tissue containing nerve cells that carry information.
For the study, researchers assessed brain function in adults ranging in age from 18 to 93 years old. Investigators used function magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure blood flow in the brain. They also used an MRI technique called âdiffusion tensor imagingâ to measure the integrity of white matter in the participantsâ brains. They also tested each participantâs cognitive function.
Study author say the research reveals a dramatic reduction in functional connections when they compared the younger and older groups. They also found those who scored the lowest on the cognitive tests also had the lowest functional connections between the brain areas.
Researchers say that similar deterioration is seen in those with Alzheimerâs disease, but they have amyloid protein deposits. This research shows that normal aging is also associated with a form of system disruption that is distinct from Alzheimerâs disease. They say subtle changes occur over time in the brain that can disrupt the coordination of large-scale brain systems.
SOURCE: Neuron, 2007; Dec. 6, 2007