American Journal of Neuroradiology 22:136-142 (1 2001)
© 2001 American Society of Neuroradiology
ARTICLE
Regional and Global Changes in Cerebral Diffusion with Normal Aging
a From the Departments of Radiology (A.O.N., C.Y.T., T.C.W., S.W.A.) and Psychiatry (C.Y.T., M.S.B.), Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY; and the Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA (S.W.A.).
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We used quantitative diffusion MR imaging to investigate the microstructural changes that occur in white matter during normal aging in order to identify regional changes in anisotropy and to quantify global microstructural changes by use of whole-brain diffusion histograms.
METHODS: Full diffusion tensor MR imaging was performed in 20 healthy volunteers, 20 to 91 years old. Thirteen subjects also underwent high-resolution T1-weighted imaging, so that diffusion images could be coregistered and standardized to normal coordinates for statistical probability mapping. Relative anisotropy (RA) was calculated, as was linear regression of RA with age for each pixel; pixels with a significant correlation coefficient were displayed. For histographic analysis, the average apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histograms were calculated on a pixel-by-pixel basis. Subjects were divided into two equal groups by the median age (55 years) of the population and plotted for statistical comparison.
RESULTS: Regional analysis showed statistically significant decreases in RA with increasing age in the periventricular white matter, frontal white matter, and genu and splenium of the corpus callosum, despite the absence of signal abnormalities on visual inspection of conventional images. Significant increases in RA were found in the internal capsules bilaterally. ADC histograms showed higher mean ADC and reduced peak height and skew in the older age group on group comparisons.
CONCLUSION: Quantitative diffusion histograms correlate with normal aging and may provide a global assessment of normal age-related changes and serve as a standard for comparison with neurodegenerative diseases.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  M. Sasaki, K. Yamada, Y. Watanabe, M. Matsui, M. Ida, S. Fujiwara, and E. Shibata Variability in Absolute Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Values across Different Platforms May Be Substantial: A Multivendor, Multi-institutional Comparison Study Radiology, November 1, 2008; 249(2): 624 - 630. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Ozturk, A.D. Sasson, J.A.D. Farrell, B.A. Landman, A.C.B.S. da Motta, A. Aralasmak, and D.M. Yousem Regional Differences in Diffusion Tensor Imaging Measurements: Assessment of Intrarater and Interrater Variability AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., June 1, 2008; 29(6): 1124 - 1127. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Bisdas, D.E. Bohning, N. Besenski, J.S. Nicholas, and Z. Rumboldt Reproducibility, Interrater Agreement, and Age-Related Changes of Fractional Anisotropy Measures at 3T in Healthy Subjects: Effect of the Applied b-Value AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., June 1, 2008; 29(6): 1128 - 1133. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. Mukherjee, J.I. Berman, S.W. Chung, C.P. Hess, and R.G. Henry Diffusion Tensor MR Imaging and Fiber Tractography: Theoretic Underpinnings AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., April 1, 2008; 29(4): 632 - 641. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Stadlbauer, E. Salomonowitz, G. Strunk, T. Hammen, and O. Ganslandt Age-related Degradation in the Central Nervous System: Assessment with Diffusion-Tensor Imaging and Quantitative Fiber Tracking Radiology, April 1, 2008; 247(1): 179 - 188. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 E V SULLIVAN and A PFEFFERBAUM Neuroradiological characterization of normal adult ageing Br. J. Radiol., December 1, 2007; 80(Special_Issue_2): S99 - S108. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. D. Nave, S. Foresti, A. Pratesi, A. Ginestroni, M. Inzitari, E. Salvadori, M. Giannelli, S. Diciotti, D. Inzitari, and M. Mascalchi Whole-Brain Histogram and Voxel-Based Analyses of Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Patients with Leukoaraiosis: Correlation with Motor and Cognitive Impairment AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., August 1, 2007; 28(7): 1313 - 1319. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. Minati, M. Grisoli, and M. G. Bruzzone MR Spectroscopy, Functional MRI, and Diffusion-Tensor Imaging in the Aging Brain: A Conceptual Review J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol, March 1, 2007; 20(1): 3 - 21. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S.M. Grieve, L.M. Williams, R.H. Paul, C.R. Clark, and E. Gordon Cognitive Aging, Executive Function, and Fractional Anisotropy: A Diffusion Tensor MR Imaging Study AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., February 1, 2007; 28(2): 226 - 235. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. Kin, M. Hirano, T. Taoka, Y. Furiya, H. Kataoka, K. Kichikawa, and S. Ueno Global and Region-Specific Analyses of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient in Dentatorubral-Pallidoluysian Atrophy AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., August 1, 2006; 27(7): 1463 - 1466. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 I. J. Deary, M. E. Bastin, A. Pattie, J. D. Clayden, L. J. Whalley, J. M. Starr, and J. M. Wardlaw White matter integrity and cognition in childhood and old age Neurology, February 28, 2006; 66(4): 505 - 512. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. Benedetti, A. Charil, M. Rovaris, E. Judica, P. Valsasina, M. P. Sormani, and M. Filippi Influence of aging on brain gray and white matter changes assessed by conventional, MT, and DT MRI Neurology, February 28, 2006; 66(4): 535 - 539. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A Pena, H A L Green, T A Carpenter, S J Price, J D Pickard, and J H Gillard Enhanced visualization and quantification of magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging using the p:q tensor decomposition Br. J. Radiol., February 1, 2006; 79(938): 101 - 109. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. A. Charlton, T. R. Barrick, D. J. McIntyre, Y. Shen, M. O'Sullivan, F. A. Howe, C. A. Clark, R. G. Morris, and H. S. Markus White matter damage on diffusion tensor imaging correlates with age-related cognitive decline Neurology, January 24, 2006; 66(2): 217 - 222. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Kitahara, S. Nakasu, K. Murata, K. Sho, and R. Ito Evaluation of Treatment-Induced Cerebral White Matter Injury by Using Diffusion-Tensor MR Imaging: Initial Experience AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., October 1, 2005; 26(9): 2200 - 2206. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Spilt, T. Geeraedts, A. J. M. de Craen, R. G. J. Westendorp, G. J. Blauw, and M. A. van Buchem Age-Related Changes in Normal-Appearing Brain Tissue and White Matter Hyperintensities: More of the Same or Something Else? AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., April 1, 2005; 26(4): 725 - 729. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Mascalchi, F. Lolli, R. D. Nave, C. Tessa, R. Petralli, C. Gavazzi, L. S. Politi, M. Macucci, M. Filippi, and S. Piacentini Huntington Disease: Volumetric, Diffusion-weighted, and Magnetization Transfer MR Imaging of Brain Radiology, September 1, 2004; 232(3): 867 - 873. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. Head, R. L. Buckner, J. S. Shimony, L. E. Williams, E. Akbudak, T. E. Conturo, M. McAvoy, J. C. Morris, and A. Z. Snyder Differential Vulnerability of Anterior White Matter in Nondemented Aging with Minimal Acceleration in Dementia of the Alzheimer Type: Evidence from Diffusion Tensor Imaging Cereb Cortex, April 1, 2004; 14(4): 410 - 423. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Y. Bilgili and B. Unal Effect of Region of Interest on Interobserver Variance in Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Measures AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., January 1, 2004; 25(1): 108 - 111. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. J. Firbank, T. Minett, and J. T. O'Brien Changes in DWI and MRS associated with white matter hyperintensities in elderly subjects Neurology, October 14, 2003; 61(7): 950 - 954. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Londono, M. Castillo, Y. Z. Lee, and J. K. Smith Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Measurements in the Hippocampi in Patients with Temporal Lobe Seizures AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., September 1, 2003; 24(8): 1582 - 1586. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Y. Arzoumanian, M. Mirmiran, P.D. Barnes, K. Woolley, R.L. Ariagno, M.E. Moseley, B.E. Fleisher, and S.W. Atlas Diffusion Tensor Brain Imaging Findings At Term-equivalent Age May Predict Neurologic Abnormalities in Low Birth Weight Preterm Infants AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., September 1, 2003; 24(8): 1646 - 1653. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Rovaris, G. Iannucci, M. Cercignani, M. P. Sormani, N. De Stefano, S. Gerevini, G. Comi, and M. Filippi Age-related Changes in Conventional, Magnetization Transfer, and Diffusion-Tensor MR Imaging Findings: Study with Whole-Brain Tissue Histogram Analysis Radiology, June 1, 2003; 227(3): 731 - 738. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Mascalchi, M. Moretti, R. Della Nave, F. Lolli, C. Tessa, G. Carlucci, L. Bartolini, G. Pracucci, L. Pantoni, M. Filippi, et al. Longitudinal evaluation of leukoaraiosis with whole brain ADC histograms Neurology, September 24, 2002; 59(6): 938 - 940. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. J. Lowe, M. D. Phillips, J. T. Lurito, D. Mattson, M. Dzemidzic, and V. P. Mathews Multiple Sclerosis: Low-Frequency Temporal Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent Fluctuations Indicate Reduced Functional Connectivity—Initial Results Radiology, July 1, 2002; 224(1): 184 - 192. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|