Age-related iron accumulation and demyelination in the basal ganglia are closely related to verbal memory and executive functioning.

ABSTRACT: Age-related cognitive decline has been linked to alterations of the dopaminergic system and its subcortical trajectories. Recent work suggests a critical role of iron accumulation within the basal ganglia (BG) in verbal memory performance, and increased iron levels have been related to demyelination. However, the specificity of age-related iron increases with respect to cognitive functions remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the interplay of age, cognitive performance, and structural integrity of the BG. In total, 79 healthy older participants underwent a broad cognitive assessment (fluid and crystallized intelligence, verbal and numeric memory, processing speed, executive functions) and structural MRI. As expected, performance in most cognitive tests had a negative relationship wi

SUBMITTER: Biel D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8093241 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature