Compression and expansion in the aging brain is associated with clinical and cognitive outcomes.
Abstract
The brain undergoes structural changes during aging, such as gray matter loss, enlarged ventricles, and sulcal widening. However, previous studies have primarily investigated these changes in isolation, without describing the complex spatial relationships between overall brain shape and regions. Here, we tested how gradients of expansion and compression of the global shape of the brain as well as between homologous brain regions across hemispheres are affected by age, and whether these changes further contribute to clinical impairment and cognitive deficits in older adults.
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Research summary
The paper investigates structural changes in the aging brain and their association with cognitive outcomes, which is relevant to understanding age-related changes. However, it primarily focuses on describing these changes rather than addressing the root causes of aging or proposing interventions for lifespan extension. Thus, while it contributes to the field of aging research, its impact is limited and more incremental than transformative.
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