Preserved cerebellar functions despite structural degeneration in older adults

Abstract

Aging is frequently perceived negatively due to its association with the decline of various brain and bodily functions. While it is evident that motor abilities deteriorate with age, it is incorrect to assume that all aspects of movement execution are equally affected. The cerebellum, a brain region that is closely involved in motor control among other functions, undergoes clear structural changes with aging. While several studies suggest that cerebellar degeneration causes age related motor control deficits, other studies suggest that the cerebellum might act as a motor reserve and compensate for its structural degeneration, leaving cerebellar motor function intact despite cerebellar degeneration. The present study aims at thoroughly investigating the impact of age on cerebellar function across an array of tasks and domains. We investigated cerebellar motor and cognitive functions across the lifespan by examining 50 young adults (20 to 35 years), 80 older adults (55 to 70 years), and 30 older old adults (over 80 years). Participants completed a test battery comprising seven motor control tasks and one cognitive task, each designed to probe cerebellar function through different paradigms. This multi task approach allowed for a comprehensive evaluation of performance patterns, providing a balanced perspective on cerebellar function across the different age groups. In addition, we analyzed outcomes from the same tasks that, while related to movement, were not specifically linked to cerebellar function. Structural magnetic resonance imaging was also conducted to assess whether cerebellar atrophy was present in the older and older old groups compared to the young. Our results revealed that, despite age-related cerebellar degeneration, cerebellar functions in older adults remained intact compared to young adults, even in adults above 80 years old. In contrast, the sensorimotor measures that were not directly linked to cerebellar function exhibited a clear pattern of decline in older adults, and were further deteriorated in the older-old adults compared to the older adults. These findings indicate that cerebellar motor control functions remain largely preserved with age, providing compelling evidence that the cerebellum possesses a remarkable degree of functional resilience and redundancy. This suggests that cerebellar circuits may be uniquely equipped to preserve function despite structural degeneration.