The Disconnected Brain and Executive Function Decline in Aging
The Disconnected Brain and Executive Function Decline in Aging
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DOI：
10.1093/cercor/bhw082
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发表时间：
2017-03-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
Walhovd, Kristine B.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Fjell, Anders M.;Sneve, Markus H.;Walhovd, Kristine B.
高阶快速认知能力取决于整个大脑活动的有效协调，这使得它们容易受到结构和功能大脑连接的年龄减少的影响。“断开老化”的概念已经被引用，这表明遥远的大脑区域之间的连接退化会导致认知能力下降。然而，还没有证据表明，认知功能随时间的变化可以通过大脑连接的同时变化来解释。我们对119名年轻人和中年人（23-52岁）以及老年人（63-86岁）进行了为期3.3年的随访，并对大脑的结构和功能连接以及执行功能进行了重复评估。我们发现，在更基本的认知过程的变化之上，执行功能的独特的与年龄相关的纵向下降。有趣的是，82.5%的与年龄相关的执行功能下降可以用连接性随时间的变化来解释。虽然结构和功能连接的变化都与执行功能的纵向下降有关，但只有结构连接的变化才能解释年龄特异性下降。这表明，与年龄相关的执行功能下降的主要部分可以归因于大脑连接的微观和宏观结构变化。虽然在本质上是相关的，我们相信目前的结果构成了一个“断开大脑”的认知老化的观点的证据。
Higher order speeded cognitive abilities depend on efficient coordination of activity across the brain, rendering them vulnerable to age reductions in structural and functional brain connectivity. The concept of "disconnected aging" has been invoked, suggesting that degeneration of connections between distant brain regions cause cognitive reductions. However, it has not been shown that changes in cognitive functions over time can be explained by simultaneous changes in brain connectivity. We followed 119 young and middle-aged (23-52 years) and older (63-86 years) adults for 3.3 years with repeated assessments of structural and functional brain connectivity and executive functions. We found unique age-related longitudinal reductions in executive function over and above changes in more basic cognitive processes. Intriguingly, 82.5% of the age-related decline in executive function could be explained by changes in connectivity over time. While both structural and functional connectivity changes were related to longitudinal reductions in executive function, only structural connectivity change could explain the age-specific decline. This suggests that the major part of the age-related reductions in executive function can be attributed to micro-and macrostructural alterations in brain connectivity. Although correlational in nature, we believe the present results constitute evidence for a "disconnected brain" view on cognitive aging.