TY - JOUR
T1 - Low cortical iron and high entorhinal cortex volume promote cognitive functioning in the oldest-old
AU - van Bergen, Jiri M.G.
AU - Li, Xu
AU - Quevenco, Frances C.
AU - Gietl, Anton F.
AU - Treyer, Valerie
AU - Leh, Sandra E.
AU - Meyer, Rafael
AU - Buck, Alfred
AU - Kaufmann, Philipp A.
AU - Nitsch, Roger M.
AU - van Zijl, Peter C.M.
AU - Hock, Christoph
AU - Unschuld, Paul G.
N1 - Funding Information:
Dr. Peter van Zijl is a paid lecturer for Philips Healthcare and is the inventor of technology that is licensed to Philips. This arrangement has been approved by The Johns Hopkins University in accordance with its conflict of interest policies. Dr. Paul G. Unschuld is supported by a GE healthcare grant for investigator-initiated research. This funding is in accordance with guidelines issued by the University of Zürich.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2018/4
Y1 - 2018/4
N2 - The aging brain is characterized by an increased presence of neurodegenerative and vascular pathologies. However, there is substantial variation regarding the relationship between an individual's pathological burden and resulting cognitive impairment. To identify correlates of preserved cognitive functioning at highest age, the relationship between β-amyloid plaque load, presence of small vessel cerebrovascular disease (SVCD), iron-burden, and brain atrophy was investigated. Eighty cognitively unimpaired participants (44 oldest-old, aged 85–96 years; 36 younger-old, aged 55–80 years) were scanned by integrated positron emission tomography–magnetic resonance imaging for assessing beta regional amyloid plaque load (18F-flutemetamol), white matter hyperintensities as an indicator of SVCD (fluid-attenuated inversion recovery–magnetic resonance imaging), and iron load (quantitative susceptibility mapping). For the oldest-old group, lower cortical volume, increased β-amyloid plaque load, prevalence of SVCD, and lower cognitive performance in the normal range were found. However, compared to normal-old, cortical iron burden was lower in the oldest-old. Moreover, only in the oldest-old, entorhinal cortex volume positively correlated with β-amyloid plaque load. Our data thus indicate that the co-occurrence of aging-associated neuropathologies with reduced quantitative susceptibility mapping measures of cortical iron load constitutes a lower vulnerability to cognitive loss.
AB - The aging brain is characterized by an increased presence of neurodegenerative and vascular pathologies. However, there is substantial variation regarding the relationship between an individual's pathological burden and resulting cognitive impairment. To identify correlates of preserved cognitive functioning at highest age, the relationship between β-amyloid plaque load, presence of small vessel cerebrovascular disease (SVCD), iron-burden, and brain atrophy was investigated. Eighty cognitively unimpaired participants (44 oldest-old, aged 85–96 years; 36 younger-old, aged 55–80 years) were scanned by integrated positron emission tomography–magnetic resonance imaging for assessing beta regional amyloid plaque load (18F-flutemetamol), white matter hyperintensities as an indicator of SVCD (fluid-attenuated inversion recovery–magnetic resonance imaging), and iron load (quantitative susceptibility mapping). For the oldest-old group, lower cortical volume, increased β-amyloid plaque load, prevalence of SVCD, and lower cognitive performance in the normal range were found. However, compared to normal-old, cortical iron burden was lower in the oldest-old. Moreover, only in the oldest-old, entorhinal cortex volume positively correlated with β-amyloid plaque load. Our data thus indicate that the co-occurrence of aging-associated neuropathologies with reduced quantitative susceptibility mapping measures of cortical iron load constitutes a lower vulnerability to cognitive loss.
KW - APOE
KW - Beta-amyloid
KW - Cognitive reserve
KW - Iron
KW - MRI
KW - Maintenance
KW - Oldest-old
KW - PET
KW - QSM
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U2 - 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.12.014
DO - 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.12.014
M3 - Article
C2 - 29351872
AN - SCOPUS:85041414324
SN - 0197-4580
VL - 64
SP - 68
EP - 75
JO - Neurobiology of aging
JF - Neurobiology of aging
ER -