Objectives MR planimetry of brainstem structures can be helpful for the discrimination of Parkinsonian syndromes. It has been suggested that ageing might influence brainstem MR measurements assessed by MR planimetry, while effects of gender and total intracranial volume (TIV) have not been assessed so far. The aim of this study was to evaluate age, gender and TIV effects on brainstem MR planimetric measures. Methods Brainstem MR planimetric measures of diameters (midbrain, pons, middle and superior cerebellar peduncle) and areas (pons and midbrain), the derived ratios, and the magnetic resonance Parkinsonism index (MRPI) were assessed on 1.5-T MR images in a large cohort of 97 healthy controls and analysed for the influence of age, gender and TIV with univariate and multivariate linear models. Results Neither gender nor age effects on planimetric measurements were observed in the population relevant for the differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative Parkinsonism, aged 50 to 80 years, except for single area-derived measurements, with gender effects on pontine area (p = 0.013) and age effects on midbrain area (p = 0.037). Results were similar upon inclusion of the TIV in the analyses. Conclusions There is no need to correct for age, gender or TIV when using brainstem-derived MR planimetric measurements in the differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative Parkinsonism. Key Points • There were no gender effects on single or combined imaging measurements of the brainstem in the population aged 50 to 80 years, the age range relevant for the differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative Parkinsonism (except for pontine area). • There were no age effects on single or combined imaging measurements of the brainstem in the population aged 50 to 80 years, the age range relevant for the differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative Parkinsonism (except for midbrain area). • There is no need for age-or gender-specific cutoffs for the relevant age group.

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<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Previous studies have shown an association between a high health numeracy and good cognitive functioning. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> To investigate the moderation effect of education on this relationship and which brain structures support health numeracy. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We examined 70 healthy older persons (66% females; mean ± SD: age, 75.73 ± 4.52 years; education, 12.21 ± 2.94 years). The participants underwent a T1-weighted 3-T MRI and a neuropsychological assessment including a health numeracy task. Statistical parametric mapping was applied to identify focal changes in cortical thickness throughout the entire brain and to correlate image parameters with behavioral measures. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Executive functions and mental calculation emerged as predictors of health numeracy (<i>B</i> = 0.22, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05, and <i>B</i> = 0.38, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.01). An interaction was found between education and executive functions (<i>B</i> = –0.16, <i>p</i> = 0.01) and between education and mental calculation (<i>B</i> = –0.11, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05). Executive functions and mental calculation had an impact on health numeracy in participants with a low to intermediate edu­cation (≤12 years) but not in those with a higher education (&#x3e;12 years). Health numeracy scores were associated with cortical thickness in the right dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and the right superior temporal gyrus (<i>p</i> = 0.01). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Older people with a higher education perform better in health numeracy tasks than those with a lower education. They have access to previously acquired knowledge about ratio concepts and do not need to rely on executive functions and computational skills. This is highly relevant when decisions about health care have to be made.