Functional MRI of Aging: Biophysical Characterization

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In the recent years, a number of studies using functional MRI (fMRI) have shown substantial differences between the activation pattern of older subjects (> 50 years of age) and younger subjects (21-40 years) while performing a number of different sensorimotor and cognitive tasks. It has been concluded that the contrast observed is due to differences in neuronal activity in the older subjects. However, early hypothesis that normal aging involves widespread loss of neurons have been revised in light of accumulating evidence that in most regions of the brain, the number of neurons is stable throughout adulthood and senescence. In addition to direct effects on neuronal function, factors contributing to cerebrovascular reactivity is known to be altered in older people that could give rise to altered hemodynamic responses. Since the signal observed using fMRI could be modulated both by hemodynamics and oxygenation changes resulting from neuronal changes, these two factors must be separated to gain a better understanding about age related changes in the activation pattern obtained using fMRI. The present project proposed intends to combine basic science, engineering, and computational issues to specifically elucidate mechanisms (neuronal vs vascular) that results in older subjects having altered brain activation in comparison to young subjects. Results obtained from the noninvasive technique (fMRI) would provide ways to measure a number of relevant physiological factors and characterize them biophysically to understand human brain function with aging. Methods and techniques developed can also be used to study between two or more different groups.