Brain development and aging: Overlapping and unique patterns of change

Abstract

Early-life development is characterized by dramatic changes, impacting lifespan function more than changes inany other period. Developmental origins of neurocognitive late-life functions are acknowledged, but detailed longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging studies of brain maturation and direct comparisons with aging are lacking. To these aims, a novel method was used to measure longitudinal volume changes in development (n = 85, 8–22 years) and aging (n = 142, 60–91 years). Developmental reductions exceeded 1% annually in much of cortex, more than double that seen in aging, with a posterior-to-anterior gradient. Cortical reductions were greater than subcortical during development, while the opposite held in aging. The pattern of lateral cortical changes was similar across development and aging, but the pronounced medial temporal reduction in aging was not precast in development. Converging patterns of change in adolescents and elderly, particularly in medial prefrontal areas, suggest that late developed cortices are especially vulnerable to atrophy in aging. A key question in future research will be to disentangle the neurobiological underpinnings for the differences and the similarities between brain changes in development and aging.

Development and aging of cortical thickness correspond to genetic organization patterns

“…Although neuronal number is likely not reduced at any age presently studied, reductions in the number of synaptic spines and synapses may be ongoing in older age at a level where functional consequences are not positive, and shrinkage of cell bodies is another candidate factor underlying cortical thinning in aging (52)(53)(54). We have previously reported a mixture of overlapping and spatially distinct patterns of change in maturation and older age (55) and identified a structural brain network sensitive to both (56). Importantly, however, the cognitive correlates of cortical changes are often different in development and aging, as cortical thickness has been more positively associated with cognitive function in older age (57)(58)(59)(60).…”

A common brain network links development, aging, and vulnerability to disease

“…Taken together, our results suggest that the common spatial pattern of abnormalities observed in these two disorders, which emerge at opposite ends of the life spectrum, might be influenced by the timing of their separate and distinct pathological processes in disrupting healthy cerebral development and aging, respectively. brain structure | development | aging | schizophrenia | Alzheimer's disease M any phylogenetic or ontogenetic models attempt to relate development and aging at genetic, molecular, or cognitive systems levels (1)(2)(3)(4). In neuroscience, one of the most popular hypotheses in this respect postulates that the process of healthy age-related brain decline mirrors developmental maturation.…”

Inefficient Neural Self-Stabilization: A theory of spontaneous resolutions and recurrent relapses in psychosis

“…Several attempts to bridge the two notions have been made in the recent times [93][94][95][96][97] . Most of the proposed compromises hinge on the notion that a healthy adult brain continues to develop and change in its structure over time 98,99 ; hence a developmental aberration would continue to affect brain structure in adult life, thus explaining the neuroprogression in schizophrenia 100 .…”