Shah S A, Doraiswamy P M, Husain M M, Figiel G S, Boyko O B, McDonald W M, Ellinwood E H, Krishnan K R
Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710.
Neurobiol Aging. 1991 Jul-Aug;12(4):371-4. doi: 10.1016/0197-4580(91)90025-f.
Midsagittal magnetic resonance (MR) images of 36 normal volunteers, ranging in age from 26 to 79 years, were used to evaluate the effects of age on the size of posterior fossa structures (cerebellar vermis, midbrain, pons, medulla and fourth ventricle). Our results demonstrate a highly statistically significant age-related decline in the cross-sectional area of the midbrain (r = -.44, p less than 0.007), a less prominent decline in the area of the anterior cerebellar vermis (r = -.33, p less than 0.05) and striking intercorrelations between the dimensions of the pons, medulla and cerebellar vermis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first MRI demonstration of midbrain atrophy during aging in normal adults.
选取了36名年龄在26至79岁之间的正常志愿者，利用其正中矢状面磁共振（MR）图像来评估年龄对后颅窝结构（小脑蚓部、中脑、脑桥、延髓和第四脑室）大小的影响。我们的研究结果表明，中脑横截面积随年龄增长呈现出具有高度统计学意义的下降（r = -0.44，p < 0.007），小脑蚓部前部面积的下降则不太明显（r = -0.33，p < 0.05），并且脑桥、延髓和小脑蚓部的尺寸之间存在显著的相互关联。据我们所知，这是首次在正常成年人中通过MRI证实衰老过程中存在中脑萎缩。
