Reorganization of structural connectivity in the brain supports preservation of cognitive ability in healthy aging.

ABSTRACT: The global population is aging rapidly, and a research question of critical importance is why some older adults suffer tremendous cognitive decline while others are mostly spared. Past aging research has shown that older adults with spared cognitive ability have better local short-range information processing while global long-range processing is less efficient. We took this research a step further to investigate whether the underlying structural connections, measured in vivo using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI), show a similar shift to support cognitive ability. We analyzed the structural connectivity streamline probability (representing the probability of connection between regions) and nodal efficiency and local efficiency regional graph theory metrics to determine whether

SUBMITTER: Neudorf J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11398719 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature