Research Paper Volume 12, Issue 24 pp 25319—25336
Cerebellar-limbic neurocircuit is the novel biosignature of physio-cognitive decline syndrome
- 1 Aging and Health Research Center, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
- 2 Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
- 3 Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
- 4 Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
- 5 Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
- 6 Institute of Public Health, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
- 7 Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Yuanshan Branch, Yilan, Taiwan
- 8 Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
- 9 Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Received: June 3, 2020 Accepted: September 20, 2020 Published: November 25, 2020
https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.104135How to Cite
Abstract
Both physical and cognitive deficits occur in the aging process. We operationally defined the phenomenon as physio-cognitive decline syndrome (PCDS) and aimed to decipher its corresponding neuroanatomy patterns and neurocircuit. High resolution 3T brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images from a community-dwelling longitudinal aging cohort were analysed. PCDS was defined as weakness (handgrip strength) and/or slowness (gait speed) concomitant with impairment in any cognitive domain (defined by 1.5 standard deviation below age, sex-matched norms), but without dementia or disability. Among 1196 eligible ≥ 50-year-old (62±9 years, 47.6%men) subjects, 15.9% had PCDS. Compared to the other participants, individuals with PCDS had significantly lower gray-matter volume (GMV) in the bilateral amygdala and thalamus, right hippocampus, right temporo-occipital cortex, and left cerebellum VI and V regions. The regions of reduced GMV in people with PCDS were similar between the middle-aged and older adults; whereas larger clusters with more extensive GMV-depleted regions were observed in ≥65-year-olds with PCDS. Diffusion-weighted tractography showed disrupted hippocampus-amygdala-cerebellum connections in subjects with PCDS. The neuroanatomic characteristics revealed by this study provide evidence for pathophysiological processes associated with concomitant physio-cognitive decline in the elderly. This neurocircuit might constitute a target for future preventive interventions.
Abbreviations
BMI: body mass index; GMV: gray-matter volume; ILAS: I-Lan Longitudinal Aging Study; MCI: mild cognitive impairment; MCRS: motoric cognitive risk syndrome; MMSE: Mini-Mental State Examination; MRI: magnetic resonance imaging; PCDS: physio-cognitive decline syndrome.