Age differences in diffusivity in the locus coeruleus and its ascending noradrenergic tract.

ABSTRACT: The noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) is a small brainstem nucleus that promotes arousal and attention. Recent studies have examined the microstructural properties of the LC using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and found unexpected age-related differences in fractional anisotropy - a measure of white matter integrity. Here, we used two datasets (Berlin Aging Study-II, N = 301, the Leipzig Study for Mind-Body-Emotion Interactions, N = 220), to replicate published findings and expand them by investigating diffusivity in the LC's ascending noradrenergic bundle. In younger adults, LC fractional anisotropy was significantly lower, compared to older adults. However, in the LC's ascending noradrenergic bundle, we observed significantly higher fractional anisotropy in younger adult

SUBMITTER: Porat S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9183949 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature