Adaptation of brain functional and structural networks in aging

The human brain, especially the prefrontal cortex (PFC), is functionally and anatomically reorganized in order to adapt to neuronal challenges in aging. This study employed structural MRI, resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI), and high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI), and examined the functional and structural reorganization of the PFC in aging using a Chinese sample of 173 subjects aged from 21 years and above. We found age-related increases in the structural connectivity between the PFC and posterior brain regions. Such findings were partially mediated by age-related increases in the structural connectivity of the occipital lobe within the posterior brain. Based on our findings, it is thought that the PFC reorganization in aging could be partly due to the adaptation to age-related changes in the structural reorganization of the posterior brain. This thus supports the idea derived from task-based fMRI that the PFC reorganization in aging may be adapted to the need of compensation ...

人类大脑，尤其是前额叶皮层（prefrontal cortex, PFC），会在功能与解剖结构层面发生重塑，以适应衰老过程中的神经元层面挑战。本研究采用结构磁共振成像（structural MRI）、静息态功能磁共振成像（resting-state fMRI, rs-fMRI）以及高角分辨率扩散成像（high angular resolution diffusion imaging, HARDI）技术，以173名21岁及以上的中国被试为样本，探究了衰老状态下前额叶皮层的结构与功能重塑特征。研究发现，前额叶皮层与后脑区域之间的结构连接随年龄增长显著增强。此类现象部分由后脑内枕叶的结构连接随年龄增长所介导。基于上述研究结果，我们认为衰老过程中的前额叶皮层重塑，可能部分源于对后脑结构重塑相关年龄相关变化的适应。这一发现也支持了基于任务态功能磁共振成像（task-based fMRI）提出的假说，即衰老过程中的前额叶皮层重塑或为适应代偿需求而发生……