title: Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of the effects of ageing on grey-white ratio in the human brain.
abstract: A previous neuropathological report noted a non-linear pattern of change in cerebral grey-white matter ratio during ageing. In that report, grey-white ratio decreased from age 20 to age 50, then increased in elderly subjects. The objective of the current study was to attempt to replicate this pattern of age-related change in the grey-white ratio in living human subjects using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging segmentation analysis. We measured the grey-white ratio in 78 subjects between the ages of 19 and 77 years, using a computer segmentation algorithm with magnetic resonance images. In agreement with the previous neuropathological report, the current in vivo magnetic resonance study found that the grey-white ratio declined from age 20 to age 50, then increased in elderly subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Schlaepfer
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Federman
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Pearlson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged