Aging effects on cerebral asymmetry: a voxel-based morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging study.
The hemispheres of the human brain are functionally and structurally asymmetric. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of aging on gray and white matter asymmetry. Two hundred twenty-six right-handed normal volunteers aged 21-71 years were included in this study. The effects of aging on gray matter volume asymmetry and white matter fractional anisotropy asymmetry were evaluated with use of voxel-based morphometry and voxel-based analysis of fractional anisotropy maps derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), respectively. The voxel-based morphometry showed no significant correlation between age and gray matter volume asymmetry. The voxel-based analysis of DTI also showed no significant correlation between age and white matter fractional anisotropy asymmetry. Our results showed no significant effects of aging on either gray matter volume asymmetry or white matter fractional anisotropy asymmetry.
Takao
Hidemasa
H
Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. takaoh-tky@umin.ac.jp
Abe
Osamu
O
Yamasue
Hidenori
H
Aoki
Shigeki
S
Kasai
Kiyoto
K
Sasaki
Hiroki
H
Ohtomo
Kuni
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000648:ultrastructure*