Zhou Dongming, Lebel Catherine, Evans Alan, Beaulieu Christian
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Neuroimage. 2013 Dec;83:66-74. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.06.073. Epub 2013 Jul 1.
Age-related thinning of the cortical mantle varies regionally, leading to hemispheric asymmetries in cortical thickness that may emerge at various stages of development and aging. Cortical asymmetry may play a role in modulating the functional maturation (or degradation) of language and cognition in humans, but its evolution over the lifespan is unknown. Here cortical thickness was negatively correlated with age in 274 5-59 year old, right-handed healthy participants. Pre-adolescents showed limited regions of cortical asymmetry focused on medial occipital lobe (R>L) and inferior frontal gyrus (R>L), namely vision and language relevant areas. More extensive frontal (lateral R>L, medial L>R) and parietal lobe (lateral L>R, medial R>L) asymmetries emerged after adolescence, and increased during aging. Changes of cortical asymmetry in these regions may be linked to specialization of the brain with maturity.
与年龄相关的皮质层变薄存在区域差异，导致皮质厚度的半球不对称性，这种不对称性可能在发育和衰老的各个阶段出现。皮质不对称可能在调节人类语言和认知的功能成熟（或退化）中起作用，但其在整个生命周期中的演变尚不清楚。在此研究中，对274名5至59岁的右利手健康参与者进行分析，发现皮质厚度与年龄呈负相关。青春期前儿童的皮质不对称区域有限，主要集中在内侧枕叶（右侧>左侧）和额下回（右侧>左侧），即与视觉和语言相关的区域。青春期后出现了更广泛的额叶（外侧右侧>左侧，内侧左侧>右侧）和顶叶（外侧左侧>右侧，内侧右侧>左侧）不对称，且在衰老过程中增加。这些区域皮质不对称的变化可能与大脑随成熟而产生的特化有关。
