Neurocognitive Aging Section, Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Brain Aging and Behavior Section, Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Suite 100, Baltimore, MD 21224-6825, United States.
Neuroimage. 2023 May 15;272:120048. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120048. Epub 2023 Mar 21.
The cerebellum is involved in higher-order cognitive functions, e.g., learning and memory, and is susceptible to age-related atrophy. Yet, the cerebellum's role in age-related cognitive decline remains largely unknown. We investigated cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between cerebellar volume and verbal learning and memory. Linear mixed effects models and partial correlations were used to examine the relationship between changes in cerebellum volumes (total cerebellum, cerebellum white matter [WM], cerebellum hemisphere gray matter [GM], and cerebellum vermis subregions) and changes in verbal learning and memory performance among 549 Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging participants (2,292 visits). All models were adjusted by baseline demographic characteristics (age, sex, race, education), and APOE e4 carrier status. In examining associations between change with change, we tested an additional model that included either hippocampal (HC), cuneus, or postcentral gyrus (PoCG) volumes to assess whether cerebellar volumes were uniquely associated with verbal learning and memory. Cross-sectionally, the association of baseline cerebellum GM and WM with baseline verbal learning and memory was age-dependent, with the oldest individuals showing the strongest association between volume and performance. Baseline volume was not significantly associated with change in learning and memory. However, analysis of associations between change in volumes and changes in verbal learning and memory showed that greater declines in verbal memory were associated with greater volume loss in cerebellum white matter, and preserved GM volume in cerebellum vermis lobules VI-VII. The association between decline in verbal memory and decline in cerebellar WM volume remained after adjustment for HC, cuneus, and PoCG volume. Our findings highlight that associations between cerebellum volume and verbal learning and memory are age-dependent and regionally specific.
小脑参与高级认知功能，例如学习和记忆，并且容易受到与年龄相关的萎缩的影响。然而，小脑在与年龄相关的认知能力下降中的作用在很大程度上仍然未知。我们研究了小脑体积与言语学习和记忆之间的横断面和纵向关联。线性混合效应模型和偏相关用于检查小脑体积（总小脑、小脑白质[WM]、小脑半球灰质[GM]和小脑蚓部亚区）变化与 549 名巴尔的摩纵向衰老研究参与者（2292 次就诊）言语学习和记忆表现变化之间的关系。所有模型均通过基线人口统计学特征（年龄、性别、种族、教育）和 APOE e4 携带者状态进行调整。在检查变化与变化之间的关联时，我们测试了一个额外的模型，该模型包括海马体（HC）、楔前叶或后中央回（PoCG）的体积，以评估小脑体积是否与言语学习和记忆有独特的关联。在横断面上，基线小脑 GM 和 WM 与基线言语学习和记忆的关联随年龄的增长而变化，年龄最大的个体在体积与表现之间的关联最强。基线体积与学习和记忆的变化没有显著关联。然而，分析体积变化与言语学习和记忆变化之间的关联表明，言语记忆的较大下降与小脑白质的体积损失更大相关，而小脑蚓部小叶 VI-VII 的 GM 体积保持不变。在调整了 HC、楔前叶和 PoCG 体积后，言语记忆下降与小脑 WM 体积下降之间的关联仍然存在。我们的研究结果表明，小脑体积与言语学习和记忆之间的关联是年龄依赖性和区域特异性的。
