White matter changes and word finding failures with increasing age.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Increasing life expectancy necessitates the better understanding of the neurophysiological underpinnings of age-related cognitive changes. The majority of research examining structural-cognitive relationships in aging focuses on the role of age-related changes to grey matter integrity. In the current study, we examined the relationship between age-related changes in white matter and language production. More specifically, we concentrated on word-finding failures, which increase with age.

Methodology/principal findings

We used Diffusion tensor MRI (a technique used to image, in vivo, the diffusion of water molecules in brain tissue) to relate white matter integrity to measures of successful and unsuccessful picture naming. Diffusion tensor images were used to calcu

SUBMITTER: Stamatakis EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3017545 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature