Zimmerman Molly E, Brickman Adam M, Paul Robert H, Grieve Stuart M, Tate David F, Gunstad John, Cohen Ronald A, Aloia Mark S, Williams Leanne M, Clark C Richard, Whitford Thomas J, Gordon Evian
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2006 Oct;14(10):823-33. doi: 10.1097/01.JGP.0000238502.40963.ac.
Age-associated decline in gray matter brain volume and cognitive function in healthy adults has been reported in the literature. The goal of the current study is to examine the relationship between age-related changes in regional gray matter volumes and cognitive function in a large, cross-sectional sample of healthy adults across the lifespan.
Magnetic resonance imaging and cognitive assessment were conducted on 148 adults aged 21-76 years. Multiple regression analyses examining the effect of age were performed on magnetic resonance image-derived gray matter brain volumes and standardized cognitive summary scores of attention and executive function. Regression was also performed to test the effect of age, gray matter volumes, and their interaction on the prediction of cognitive performance.
Age significantly predicted performance on tests of attention (F [1, 146]=50.97, p <0.01, R2=0.26) and executive function (F [1, 146]=126.19, p <0.01, R2=0.46) and gray matter volumes for frontal subregions (lateral, medial, orbital), hippocampus, amygdala, and putamen (F [2, 145]=45.34-23.96, p <0.01-0.02). Lateral frontal (beta=-1.53, t=-2.16, df=131, p <0.03) and orbital frontal (beta=1.24, t=2.08, df=131, p <0.04) regions significantly predicted performance on tests of attention. Lateral frontal (beta=-1.69, t=-2.83, df=131, p <0.01) and the interaction between age and lateral frontal volume (beta=3.76, t=2.49, df=131, p <0.02) significantly predicted executive function.
The findings confirm age-associated decline in cognitive function and gray matter volumes, particularly in anterior cortical brain regions. Furthermore, the association between lateral frontal gray matter volume and the ability to successfully plan, organize, and execute strategies varies as a function of age across the healthy adult lifespan.
文献报道了健康成年人脑灰质体积和认知功能随年龄增长而下降的情况。本研究的目的是在一个涵盖整个成年期的大型健康成年人横断面样本中，研究区域灰质体积的年龄相关变化与认知功能之间的关系。
对148名年龄在21 - 76岁的成年人进行了磁共振成像和认知评估。对磁共振图像得出的脑灰质体积以及注意力和执行功能的标准化认知综合评分进行了多项回归分析，以检验年龄的影响。还进行了回归分析，以测试年龄、灰质体积及其相互作用对认知表现预测的影响。
年龄显著预测了注意力测试（F [1, 146]=50.97，p <0.01，R2=0.26）和执行功能测试（F [1, 146]=126.19，p <0.01，R2=0.46）的表现，以及额叶亚区域（外侧、内侧、眶部）、海马体、杏仁核和壳核的灰质体积（F [2, 145]=45.34 - 23.96，p <0.01 - 0.02）。外侧额叶（β=-1.53，t=-2.16，自由度=131，p <0.03）和眶额叶（β=1.24，t=2.08，自由度=131，p <0.04）区域显著预测了注意力测试的表现。外侧额叶（β=-1.69，t=-2.83，自由度=131，p <0.01）以及年龄与外侧额叶体积的相互作用（β=3.76，t=2.49，自由度=131，p <0.02）显著预测了执行功能。
研究结果证实了认知功能和灰质体积随年龄增长而下降，尤其是在前脑皮质区域。此外，外侧额叶灰质体积与成功规划、组织和执行策略的能力之间的关联在健康成年人的整个成年期随年龄而变化。
