Contributions of Hippocampal Volume to Cognition in Healthy Older Adults

Abstract

Objective: The association between hippocampal volume and memory is continuing to be characterized in healthy older adults. Prior research suggests smaller hippocampal volume in healthy older adults is associated with poorer episodic memory and processing speed, as well as working memory, verbal learning, and executive functioning as measured by the NIH Toolbox Fluid (Fluid Cognition Composite, FCC) and Crystalized Cognition Composites (CCC). This study aimed to replicate these findings and to evaluate the association between: (1) hippocampal asymmetry index and cognition; and (2) independent contributions of the left and right hippocampal volume and cognition in a large sample of healthy older adults. Participants and Methods: One-hundred and eighty-three healthy older adults (M age = 71.72, SD = 5.3) received a T1-weighted sequence on a 3T scanner. Hippocampal subfields were extracted using FreeSurfer 6.0 and combined to provide left, right, and total hippocampal volumes. FCC subtests include Dimensional Change Card Sort, Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention, List Sorting, Picture Sequence Memory, and Pattern Comparison. CCC subtests include Picture Vocabulary and Oral Reading Recognition. Multiple linear regressions were performed predicting cognition composites from the total, left and right, and asymmetry of hippocampal volume, controlling for sex, education, scanner, and total intracranial volume. Multiple comparisons in primary analyses were corrected using a false discovery rate (FDR) of p < 0.05.

A meta‐analysis of the relation between hippocampal volume and memory ability in typically developing children and adolescents

“…The mixed nature of these findings in developmental samples is similar to that seen in studies focused on adult samples, which have reported both a significant association between total hippocampal volume and memory (e.g., Hardcastle et al, 2020) and no association (e.g., Clark et al, 2020) or only in those with spatial expertise (i.e., London taxi drivers; Woollett & Maguire, 2011). A useful approach to gain a clearer picture of the association between the hippocampus is meta‐analysis.…”

Disrupted functional connectivity patterns of the left inferior frontal gyrus subregions in benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes

“…A study by Kim et al reported memory deficits in children with BECTS (40). Previous studies showed that verbally loaded memory tasks are strongly correlated with left hippocampal volume (41,42). Moreover, other research has shown altered static amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (sALFF) and dynamic ALFF (dALFF) in the hippocampus of BECTS patients, implying improved cognitive function (43).…”

Volumetric differences in hippocampal subfields and associations with clinical measures in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome

“…A study on mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease showed a positive relationship between total hippocampus volume and MMSE score (Peng et al, 2014). Another study in Alzheimer's disease showed a positive correlation between constructional recall score and CA1 and subiculum volumes (Lim et al, 2012) and memory test outcome was also positively associated with left hippocampus volume (Hardcastle et al, 2020).…”