Multimodal intervention in older adults improves resting-state functional connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and medial temporal lobe†

Abstract

The prefrontal cortex and medial temporal lobe are particularly vulnerable to the effects of aging. The disconnection between them is suggested to be an important cause of cognitive decline in normal aging. Here, using multimodal intervention training, we investigated the functional plasticity in resting-state connectivity of these two regions in older adults. The multimodal intervention, comprised of cognitive training, Tai Chi exercise, and group counseling, was conducted to explore the regional connectivity changes in the default-mode network, as well as changes in prefrontal-based voxel-wise connectivity in the whole brain. Results showed that the intervention selectively affected resting-state functional connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and medial temporal lobe. Moreover, the strength of resting-state functional connectivity between these regions correlated with individual cognitive performance. Our results suggest that multimodal intervention could postpone the effects of aging and improve the function of the regions that are most heavily influenced by aging, as well as play an important role in preserving the brain and cognition during old age.

Maintaining older brain functionality: A targeted review

“…The results of a multimodal intervention (Li et al, 2014) set to investigate the functional plasticity in resting-state connectivity of the prefrontal cortex and the medial temporal lobe in older adults suggest that multi-domain intervention composed of cognitive training, Tai Chi exercise, and group counseling could postpone the effects of aging and improve the function of the regions that are most heavily influenced by aging, as well as help to preserve the brain and cognition during old age.…”

Combined Cognitive-Psychological-Physical Intervention Induces Reorganization of Intrinsic Functional Brain Architecture in Older Adults

“…Following this assumption, a previous study from our group explored the effects of combined intervention including cognitive training, physical exercise, and group counseling on the functional plasticity in resting-state interregional connectivity in healthy older adults [24]. The results showed that the combined intervention enhanced the functional connectivity between the MTL and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and the interregional connectivity changes were correlated with individual cognitive performance.…”

Intervention-induced Enhancement in Intrinsic Brain Activity in Healthy Older Adults

“…The participants and procedures in present study have been reported in a previous study 24 . Analysis of the intervention effects revealed significant group 3 intervention interactions in the ALT difficult-condition (Fig.…”

“…Recent restingstate fMRI studies are largely composed of functional connectivity analyses, which examine the interregional temporal correlation between predefined seed regions and related functional regions. Previous training studies were prone to use functional connectivity methods 10,24,44 , which particularly emphasized the global integration of neural networks by means of indicators reflecting interregional cofluctuations, to examine brain plasticity. The development of available analytical tools for resting-state fMRI data primarily examines integration-related connectivity measures.…”

“…The sample and procedures were the same as previous published study 24 . Forty-five healthy, community-dwelling older adults (multimodal intervention group: n 5 26; control group: n 5 19) from two communities near the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing were recruited through advertisements posted in the community service stations.…”