Coupled changes in brain white matter microstructure and fluid intelligence in later life

Stuart J. Ritchie; Mark E. Bastin; Elliot M Tucker-Drob; Susana Munoz-Maniega; Laura E. Engelhardt; Simon R. Cox; Natalie A. Royle; Alan J. Gow; Janie Corley; Alison Pattie; Adele M. Taylor; Maria del C. Valdes Hernandez; John M. Starr; Joanna M. Wardlaw; Ian Deary

doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0862-15.2015

Coupled changes in brain white matter microstructure and fluid intelligence in later life

Stuart J. Ritchie, Mark E. Bastin, Elliot M Tucker-Drob, Susana Munoz-Maniega, Laura E. Engelhardt, Simon R. Cox, Natalie A. Royle, Alan J. Gow, Janie Corley, Alison Pattie, Adele M. Taylor, Maria del C. Valdes Hernandez, John M. Starr, Joanna M. Wardlaw, Ian Deary

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Understanding aging-related cognitive decline is of growing importance in aging societies, but relatively little is known about its neural substrates. Measures of white matter microstructure are known to correlate cross-sectionally with cognitive ability measures, but only a few small studies have tested for longitudinal relations among these variables. We tested whether there were coupled changes in brain white matter microstructure indexed by fractional anisotropy (FA) and three broad cognitive domains (fluid intelligence, processing speed, and memory) in a large cohort of human participants with longitudinal diffusion tensor MRI and detailed cognitive data taken at ages 73 years (n = 731) and 76 years (n = 488). Longitudinal changes in white matter microstructure were coupled with changes in fluid intelligence, but not with processing speed or memory. Individuals with higher baseline white matter FA showed less subsequent decline in processing speed. Our results provide evidence for a longitudinal link between changes in white matter microstructure and aging-related cognitive decline during the eighth decade of life. They are consistent with theoretical perspectives positing that a corticocortical “disconnection” partly explains cognitive aging.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	8672-8682
Number of pages	11
Journal	The Journal of Neuroscience
Volume	35
Issue number	22
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0862-15.2015
Publication status	Published - 3 Jun 2015

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Intelligence
Ageing
White matter
Diffusion tensor imaging
Longitudinal

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Copyright © 2015 Ritchie et al.
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Centre for Cognitive Ageing & Cognitive Epidemiology - Studentships
Seckl, J. (Principal Investigator)
MRC
1/09/13 → 31/08/19
Project: Research
Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology Phase 2.
Maclullich, A. (Principal Investigator)
1/09/13 → 31/08/19
Project: Research
RA2661 Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology Phase 2. Main Budget.
Deary, I. (Principal Investigator), Gale, C. (Co-investigator), Holmes, M. (Co-investigator), Logie, P. (Co-investigator), Maclullich, A. (Co-investigator), Porteous, D. (Co-investigator), Seckl, J. (Co-investigator), Starr, J. (Co-investigator), Wardlaw, J. (Co-investigator) & Okely, J. (Researcher)
1/09/13 → 31/08/19
Project: Research

Mark Bastin
- Deanery of Clinical Sciences - Personal Chair of Brain Imaging
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences
- Edinburgh Neuroscience
- Edinburgh Imaging
Person: Academic: Research Active

Cite this

Ritchie, S. J., Bastin, M. E., Tucker-Drob, E. M., Munoz-Maniega, S., Engelhardt, L. E., Cox, S. R., Royle, N. A., Gow, A. J., Corley, J., Pattie, A., Taylor, A. M., Valdes Hernandez, M. D. C., Starr, J. M., Wardlaw, J. M., & Deary, I. (2015). Coupled changes in brain white matter microstructure and fluid intelligence in later life. The Journal of Neuroscience, 35(22), 8672-8682. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0862-15.2015

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title = "Coupled changes in brain white matter microstructure and fluid intelligence in later life",

abstract = "Understanding aging-related cognitive decline is of growing importance in aging societies, but relatively little is known about its neural substrates. Measures of white matter microstructure are known to correlate cross-sectionally with cognitive ability measures, but only a few small studies have tested for longitudinal relations among these variables. We tested whether there were coupled changes in brain white matter microstructure indexed by fractional anisotropy (FA) and three broad cognitive domains (fluid intelligence, processing speed, and memory) in a large cohort of human participants with longitudinal diffusion tensor MRI and detailed cognitive data taken at ages 73 years (n = 731) and 76 years (n = 488). Longitudinal changes in white matter microstructure were coupled with changes in fluid intelligence, but not with processing speed or memory. Individuals with higher baseline white matter FA showed less subsequent decline in processing speed. Our results provide evidence for a longitudinal link between changes in white matter microstructure and aging-related cognitive decline during the eighth decade of life. They are consistent with theoretical perspectives positing that a corticocortical “disconnection” partly explains cognitive aging.",

keywords = "Intelligence, Ageing, White matter, Diffusion tensor imaging, Longitudinal",

author = "Ritchie, {Stuart J.} and Bastin, {Mark E.} and Tucker-Drob, {Elliot M} and Susana Munoz-Maniega and Engelhardt, {Laura E.} and Cox, {Simon R.} and Royle, {Natalie A.} and Gow, {Alan J.} and Janie Corley and Alison Pattie and Taylor, {Adele M.} and {Valdes Hernandez}, {Maria del C.} and Starr, {John M.} and Wardlaw, {Joanna M.} and Ian Deary",

year = "2015",

month = jun,

day = "3",

doi = "10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0862-15.2015",

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volume = "35",

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journal = "The Journal of Neuroscience",

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Ritchie, SJ, Bastin, ME, Tucker-Drob, EM, Munoz-Maniega, S, Engelhardt, LE, Cox, SR, Royle, NA, Gow, AJ, Corley, J, Pattie, A, Taylor, AM, Valdes Hernandez, MDC, Starr, JM, Wardlaw, JM & Deary, I 2015, 'Coupled changes in brain white matter microstructure and fluid intelligence in later life', The Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 35, no. 22, pp. 8672-8682. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0862-15.2015

TY - JOUR

T1 - Coupled changes in brain white matter microstructure and fluid intelligence in later life

AU - Ritchie, Stuart J.

AU - Bastin, Mark E.

AU - Tucker-Drob, Elliot M

AU - Munoz-Maniega, Susana

AU - Engelhardt, Laura E.

AU - Cox, Simon R.

AU - Royle, Natalie A.

AU - Gow, Alan J.

AU - Corley, Janie

AU - Pattie, Alison

AU - Taylor, Adele M.

AU - Valdes Hernandez, Maria del C.

AU - Starr, John M.

AU - Wardlaw, Joanna M.

AU - Deary, Ian

PY - 2015/6/3

Y1 - 2015/6/3

N2 - Understanding aging-related cognitive decline is of growing importance in aging societies, but relatively little is known about its neural substrates. Measures of white matter microstructure are known to correlate cross-sectionally with cognitive ability measures, but only a few small studies have tested for longitudinal relations among these variables. We tested whether there were coupled changes in brain white matter microstructure indexed by fractional anisotropy (FA) and three broad cognitive domains (fluid intelligence, processing speed, and memory) in a large cohort of human participants with longitudinal diffusion tensor MRI and detailed cognitive data taken at ages 73 years (n = 731) and 76 years (n = 488). Longitudinal changes in white matter microstructure were coupled with changes in fluid intelligence, but not with processing speed or memory. Individuals with higher baseline white matter FA showed less subsequent decline in processing speed. Our results provide evidence for a longitudinal link between changes in white matter microstructure and aging-related cognitive decline during the eighth decade of life. They are consistent with theoretical perspectives positing that a corticocortical “disconnection” partly explains cognitive aging.

AB - Understanding aging-related cognitive decline is of growing importance in aging societies, but relatively little is known about its neural substrates. Measures of white matter microstructure are known to correlate cross-sectionally with cognitive ability measures, but only a few small studies have tested for longitudinal relations among these variables. We tested whether there were coupled changes in brain white matter microstructure indexed by fractional anisotropy (FA) and three broad cognitive domains (fluid intelligence, processing speed, and memory) in a large cohort of human participants with longitudinal diffusion tensor MRI and detailed cognitive data taken at ages 73 years (n = 731) and 76 years (n = 488). Longitudinal changes in white matter microstructure were coupled with changes in fluid intelligence, but not with processing speed or memory. Individuals with higher baseline white matter FA showed less subsequent decline in processing speed. Our results provide evidence for a longitudinal link between changes in white matter microstructure and aging-related cognitive decline during the eighth decade of life. They are consistent with theoretical perspectives positing that a corticocortical “disconnection” partly explains cognitive aging.

KW - Intelligence

KW - Ageing

KW - White matter

KW - Diffusion tensor imaging

KW - Longitudinal

U2 - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0862-15.2015

DO - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0862-15.2015

M3 - Article

SN - 0270-6474

VL - 35

SP - 8672

EP - 8682

JO - The Journal of Neuroscience

JF - The Journal of Neuroscience

IS - 22

ER -

Coupled changes in brain white matter microstructure and fluid intelligence in later life

Abstract

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

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Projects

Centre for Cognitive Ageing & Cognitive Epidemiology - Studentships

Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology Phase 2.

RA2661 Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology Phase 2. Main Budget.

Profiles

Mark Bastin

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