TY - JOUR
T1 - Thalamic volume predicts performance on tests of cognitive speed and decreases in healthy aging
T2 - A magnetic resonance imaging-based volumetric analysis
AU - Van Der Werf, Ysbrand D.
AU - Tisserand, Danielle J.
AU - Visser, Pieter Jelle
AU - Hofman, Paul A.M.
AU - Vuurman, Eric
AU - Uylings, Harry B.M.
AU - Jolles, Jelle
PY - 2001/5/16
Y1 - 2001/5/16
N2 - Recent studies have indicated a role for the thalamus in attention, arousal and the capacity to perform tasks of speeded information processing. The present study evaluated the role of the thalamus in age-related cognitive decline by investigating the correlations between thalamic volume, cognition and age. This was done in 57 healthy subjects ranging from 21 to 82 years of age. All subjects underwent neurocognitive testing with information processing tests and structural magnetic resonance imaging. A significant decrease in volume of the thalamus with increasing age was found, relatively stronger than and independent of the decrease of total brain volume. The decrease of thalamic volume was apparent before the onset of loss of volume of the total brain. Over the age-span studied, the thalamic decrease in volume correlated with the diminished performance on tests of cognitive speed. Additionally, in young and middle-aged, but not in old subjects, the size of the thalamus predicted performance on tasks that require cognitive speed.
AB - Recent studies have indicated a role for the thalamus in attention, arousal and the capacity to perform tasks of speeded information processing. The present study evaluated the role of the thalamus in age-related cognitive decline by investigating the correlations between thalamic volume, cognition and age. This was done in 57 healthy subjects ranging from 21 to 82 years of age. All subjects underwent neurocognitive testing with information processing tests and structural magnetic resonance imaging. A significant decrease in volume of the thalamus with increasing age was found, relatively stronger than and independent of the decrease of total brain volume. The decrease of thalamic volume was apparent before the onset of loss of volume of the total brain. Over the age-span studied, the thalamic decrease in volume correlated with the diminished performance on tests of cognitive speed. Additionally, in young and middle-aged, but not in old subjects, the size of the thalamus predicted performance on tasks that require cognitive speed.
KW - Aging
KW - Attention
KW - Magnetic resonance imaging
KW - Mental chronometry
KW - Thalamus
KW - Volumetry
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035043461&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/S0926-6410(01)00010-6
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/S0926-6410(01)00010-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 11339987
SN - 0926-6410
VL - 11
SP - 377
EP - 385
JO - COGNITIVE BRAIN RESEARCH
JF - COGNITIVE BRAIN RESEARCH
IS - 3
ER -