Paul Robert, Grieve Stuart M, Chaudary Bilal, Gordon Norman, Lawrence Jeffrey, Cooper Nicholas, Clark C Richard, Kukla Matthew, Mulligan Richard, Gordon Evian
University of Missouri-St. Louis, Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, St. Louis, MO 63121, USA.
Neurobiol Aging. 2009 Mar;30(3):457-65. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2007.07.017. Epub 2007 Sep 14.
Recent research has revealed significant relationships between the vermian regions of the cerebellum and cognitive functions typically associated with prefrontal lobe function. These relationships are believed to be supported by anatomical connections between the distant brain regions. Recent evidence also suggests that age-related reductions in the posterior vermis are associated with age-related decline in frontal lobe cognitive functions, but these studies did not consider concomitant age-related atrophy of the prefrontal lobes. In the present study we addressed this issue by examining cognitive and structural MRI data obtained from 251 adults ranging in age from 18 to 79. Cognition was examined with a computerized cognitive battery and volumes of the cerebellar vermian regions and the prefrontal lobes were determined using quantitative morphometry. Results of the study revealed that both prefrontal and vermian volumes were smaller in older adults compared to younger adults, and both volumes correlated with cognitive performances in the older individuals. However, after controlling for prefrontal volume, the relationships between cognitive function and vermian volumes were eliminated, whereas prefrontal lobe volume remained significantly related to cognitive function after controlling for vermian volumes. These results suggest that while a reduction in cerebellar vermian volume does not significantly relate to normal age-related cognitive decline, prefrontal volume is significantly related to cognitive aging. Our results are consistent with the frontal aging hypothesis.
最近的研究揭示了小脑蚓部区域与通常与前额叶功能相关的认知功能之间的重要关系。这些关系被认为是由远距离脑区之间的解剖学连接所支持的。最近的证据还表明，小脑蚓部后部与年龄相关的减少与额叶认知功能的年龄相关下降有关，但这些研究没有考虑到前额叶同时出现的与年龄相关的萎缩。在本研究中，我们通过检查从251名年龄在18至79岁之间的成年人获得的认知和结构MRI数据来解决这个问题。使用计算机化认知测试组合来检查认知情况，并使用定量形态测量法确定小脑蚓部区域和前额叶的体积。研究结果显示，与年轻人相比，老年人的前额叶和蚓部体积都较小，并且这两个体积都与老年人的认知表现相关。然而，在控制了前额叶体积后，认知功能与蚓部体积之间的关系消失了，而在控制了蚓部体积后，前额叶体积仍然与认知功能显著相关。这些结果表明，虽然小脑蚓部体积的减少与正常的年龄相关认知下降没有显著关系，但前额叶体积与认知老化显著相关。我们的结果与额叶老化假说一致。
