Abstract:
We investigated age-related trends in the topology and hierarchical organization of brain structural and functional networks using diffusion-weighted imaging and resting-state fMRI data from a large cohort of healthy aging adults. At the cross-modal level, we explored age-related patterns in the RC involvement of different functional subsystems using a high-resolution functional parcellation. We further assessed age-related differences in the structure-function coupling as well as the network vulnerability to damage to rich club connectivity. Regardless of age, the structural and functional brain networks exhibited a rich club organization and small-world topology. In older individuals, we observed reduced integration and segregation within the frontal-occipital regions and the cerebellum along the brain\'s medial axis. Additionally, functional brain networks displayed decreased integration and increased segregation in the prefrontal, centrotemporal, and occipital regions, and the cerebellum. In older subjects, structural networks also exhibited decreased within-network and increased between-network RC connectivity. Furthermore, both within-network and between-network RC connectivity decreased in functional networks with age. An age-related decline in structure-function coupling was observed within sensory-motor, cognitive, and subcortical networks. The structural network exhibited greater vulnerability to damage to RC connectivity within the language-auditory, visual, and subcortical networks. Similarly, for functional networks, increased vulnerability was observed with damage to RC connectivity in the cerebellum, language-auditory, and sensory-motor networks. Overall, the network vulnerability decreased significantly in subjects older than 70 in both networks. Our findings underscore significant age-related differences in both brain functional and structural RC connectivity, with distinct patterns observed across the adult lifespan.
摘要:
我们使用扩散加权成像和静息状态fMRI数据调查了大脑结构和功能网络的拓扑结构和分层组织中与年龄相关的趋势。在跨模式层面,我们使用高分辨率功能分割法探索了不同功能子系统的RC参与中与年龄相关的模式。我们进一步评估了与年龄相关的结构-功能耦合差异以及网络对丰富俱乐部连通性受损的脆弱性。不管年龄,结构和功能大脑网络表现出丰富的俱乐部组织和小世界拓扑。在老年人中,我们观察到额枕区和小脑沿脑中轴的整合和分离减少。此外,功能性脑网络在前额叶显示出减少的整合和增加的隔离,中心时,和枕骨区域,还有小脑.在老年科目中,结构网络也表现出网络内减少和网络间RC连通性增加。此外,随着年龄的增长,功能网络中的网络内和网络间RC连通性均下降。在感觉运动中观察到与年龄相关的结构-功能耦合下降,认知,和皮层下网络。结构网络表现出更大的脆弱性,对语言听觉中的RC连通性造成损害,视觉,和皮层下网络。同样,对于功能网络,观察到脆弱性增加,小脑的RC连通性受损,语言-听觉,和感觉运动网络。总的来说,在两个网络中,70岁以上的受试者的网络脆弱性显著下降.我们的发现强调了大脑功能和结构RC连通性的显著年龄相关差异,在整个成人寿命中观察到不同的模式。