Cognitive function and brain structure correlations in healthy elderly East Asians

Neuroanatomical Correlates of Cognitive Performance in Late Life

“…However, we also noted that, when age was not controlled for the other cognitive domains, their GM volume correlates would appear excessively abundant across the whole brain (results not shown). A similar effect of age correction on neuroanatomical correlations of cognitive performance has been noted in previous neuroimage studies [16,45]. For example, in a study conducted by Walhovd et al [45], the predictive abilities of the hippocampal volume and cortical volume on verbal memory recall were both greatly reduced by the inclusion of age in the regression model.…”

“…In contrast, a positive correlation between hippocampal volume and memory has been reported in a number of studies with normal elderly participants [12,48] and Alzheimer’s disease patients [49,50]. However, there are also inconsistent reports showing a null relationship or a negative relationship between hippocampal volume and memory in normal elders [10,14,16,17]. As our results have shown, the relationship between hippocampal volume and memory is subject to the substantial influence of age.…”

“…Processing speed appears vulnerable to unspecified damage in GM and WM due to ageing, dementia or lesions [22]; however, studies of its regional neuroanatomical correlates are generally insufficient. As far as we are aware, only a limited number of studies have examined the GM correlate of processing speed tests in normal adults [16,52,53]. In a sample of elderly Eastern Asians, processing speed was positively correlated with GM volume in bilaterally frontal, parietal and midline occipital regions [16].…”

“…For example, a positive correlation between hippocampus volume and memory performance has been observed in some studies of the elderly [11,12], while others have demonstrated a null correlation or negative volume-function correlation in older adults [13,14]. A limited number of studies have examined the GM correlates of cognitive functions in older adults using the approach of voxel-based GM measurement; however, their results are mixed as well [15,16,17]. One study did not find any correlation between voxel-wise cortical thickness and three cognitive domains, namely cognitive control, episodic memory and semantic memory, in a cohort of healthy elderly subjects (n = 38, aged 61–86 years) [17].…”

“…One study did not find any correlation between voxel-wise cortical thickness and three cognitive domains, namely cognitive control, episodic memory and semantic memory, in a cohort of healthy elderly subjects (n = 38, aged 61–86 years) [17]. A study of healthy elderly Eastern Asians found that only the correlation between cortical thickness and processing speed survived the removal of age effects (n = 248, aged 55–86 years) [16]. The third study reported a significantly positive correlation between GM volumes of specific brain areas and several cognitive functions, namely verbal memory, semantic memory and executive function, in non-demented elderly individuals (n = 71, aged 50–92 years) [15].…”