No volume difference of medulla oblongata between young and old Korean people

Lee, Nam Joon; Park, In Sung; Koh, In Song; Jung, Tae Sik; Rhyu, Im Joo

doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2009.04.027

Cited by 24 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Previous studies examining age-related volumetric decline in the brainstem have found no overall volume loss (Raz et al, 2001; Lee et al, 2009) but significant midbrain atrophy (Luft et al, 1999). This had previously been attributed to shrinkage of the substantia nigra (Raz, 1996), however there is sparse histopathological evidence to support this hypothesis (McCormack et al, 2004; Collier et al, 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Corresponding with this, there is a reduction in cortical white-matter myelination, reflected by falling magnetization transfer (MT) values, and increasing iron deposition particularly in basal ganglia structures, notably the substantia nigra, as reflected by increasing R2* values (Pfefferbaum et al, 2009, 2010; Haacke et al, 2010; Draganski et al, 2011; Bilgic et al, 2012). Despite these widespread effects, reported brainstem related changes remain sparse due to technical limitations of imaging, segmenting, and statistically analyzing data from this region (Luft et al, 1999; Raz et al, 2001; Lee et al, 2009). Aging is known to negatively impact on several brainstem-mediated functions, for example the sleep-wake cycle (Hut and Van der Zee, 2011), sympathetic outflow (Samuels and Szabadi, 2008), vestibular-ocular reflexes (Baloh et al, 1993), and cardiovascular reflexes (Vita et al, 1986).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characterizing Aging in the Human Brainstem Using Quantitative Multimodal MRI Analysis

Lambert¹,

Chowdhury²,

FitzGerald³

et al. 2013

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

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Aging is ubiquitous to the human condition. The MRI correlates of healthy aging have been extensively investigated using a range of modalities, including volumetric MRI, quantitative MRI (qMRI), and diffusion tensor imaging. Despite this, the reported brainstem related changes remain sparse. This is, in part, due to the technical and methodological limitations in quantitatively assessing and statistically analyzing this region. By utilizing a new method of brainstem segmentation, a large cohort of 100 healthy adults were assessed in this study for the effects of aging within the human brainstem in vivo. Using qMRI, tensor-based morphometry (TBM), and voxel-based quantification (VBQ), the volumetric and quantitative changes across healthy adults between 19 and 75 years were characterized. In addition to the increased R2* in substantia nigra corresponding to increasing iron deposition with age, several novel findings were reported in the current study. These include selective volumetric loss of the brachium conjunctivum, with a corresponding decrease in magnetization transfer and increase in proton density (PD), accounting for the previously described “midbrain shrinkage.” Additionally, we found increases in R1 and PD in several pontine and medullary structures. We consider these changes in the context of well-characterized, functional age-related changes, and propose potential biophysical mechanisms. This study provides detailed quantitative analysis of the internal architecture of the brainstem and provides a baseline for further studies of neurodegenerative diseases that are characterized by early, pre-clinical involvement of the brainstem, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterizing Aging in the Human Brainstem Using Quantitative Multimodal MRI Analysis

Lambert¹,

Chowdhury²,

FitzGerald³

et al. 2013

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

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“…To examine the brainstem, known to be particularly affected in advanced WFS, in more detail, we performed manual segmentation of the Freesurfer-generated brainstem according to published criteria [46]. The brainstem was divided into midbrain, pons and medulla using anatomical landmarks.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early Brain Vulnerability in Wolfram Syndrome

et al. 2012

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Wolfram Syndrome (WFS) is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, optic nerve atrophy, diabetes insipidus, deafness, and neurological dysfunction leading to death in mid-adulthood. WFS is caused by mutations in the WFS1 gene, which lead to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated cell death. Case studies have found widespread brain atrophy in late stage WFS. However, it is not known when in the disease course these brain abnormalities arise, and whether there is differential vulnerability across brain regions and tissue classes. To address this limitation, we quantified regional brain abnormalities across multiple imaging modalities in a cohort of young patients in relatively early stages of WFS. Children and young adults with WFS were evaluated with neurological, cognitive and structural magnetic resonance imaging measures. Compared to normative data, the WFS group had intact cognition, significant anxiety and depression, and gait abnormalities. Compared to healthy and type 1 diabetic control groups, the WFS group had smaller intracranial volume and preferentially affected gray matter volume and white matter microstructural integrity in the brainstem, cerebellum and optic radiations. Abnormalities were detected in even the youngest patients with mildest symptoms, and some measures did not follow the typical age-dependent developmental trajectory. These results establish that WFS is associated with smaller intracranial volume with specific abnormalities in the brainstem and cerebellum, even at the earliest stage of clinical symptoms. This pattern of abnormalities suggests that WFS has a pronounced impact on early brain development in addition to later neurodegenerative effects, representing a significant new insight into the WFS disease process. Longitudinal studies will be critical for confirming and expanding our understanding of the impact of ER stress dysregulation on brain development.

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“…Total cerebellar volume has been investigated primarily using automated techniques, with several studies reporting smaller cerebellar volume with advanced age (Hoogendam et al, 2012; Jernigan et al, 2001; Lee et al, 2009; Walhovd et al, 2011, 2005). Interestingly, cerebellar volume does not seem to associate linearly with age.…”

Section: 1 Cerebellar Morphology In Agingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Moving forward: Age effects on the cerebellum underlie cognitive and motor declines

Seidler

2014

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

184

170

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Though the cortical contributions to age-related declines in motor and cognitive performance are well-known, the potential contributions of the cerebellum are less clear. The diverse functions of the cerebellum make it an important structure to investigate in aging. Here, we review the extant literature on this topic. To date, there is evidence to indicate that there are morphological age differences in the cerebellum that are linked to motor and cognitive behavior. Cerebellar morphology is often as good as -- or even better -- at predicting performance than the prefrontal cortex. We also touch on the few studies using functional neuroimaging and connectivity analyses that further implicate the cerebellum in age-related performance declines. Importantly, we provide a conceptual framework for the cerebellum influencing age differences in performance, centered on the notion of degraded internal models. The evidence indicating that cerebellar age differences associate with performance highlights the need for additional work in this domain to further elucidate the role of the cerebellum in age differences in movement control and cognitive function.

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No volume difference of medulla oblongata between young and old Korean people

Cited by 24 publications

References 44 publications

Characterizing Aging in the Human Brainstem Using Quantitative Multimodal MRI Analysis

Characterizing Aging in the Human Brainstem Using Quantitative Multimodal MRI Analysis

Early Brain Vulnerability in Wolfram Syndrome

Moving forward: Age effects on the cerebellum underlie cognitive and motor declines

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