title: Multimodal intervention in older adults improves resting-state functional connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and medial temporal lobe.
abstract: The prefrontal cortex and medial temporal lobe are particularly vulnerable to the effects of aging. The disconnection between them is suggested to be an important cause of cognitive decline in normal aging. Here, using multimodal intervention training, we investigated the functional plasticity in resting-state connectivity of these two regions in older adults. The multimodal intervention, comprised of cognitive training, Tai Chi exercise, and group counseling, was conducted to explore the regional connectivity changes in the default-mode network, as well as changes in prefrontal-based voxel-wise connectivity in the whole brain. Results showed that the intervention selectively affected resting-state functional connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and medial temporal lobe. Moreover, the strength of resting-state functional connectivity between these regions correlated with individual cognitive performance. Our results suggest that multimodal intervention could postpone the effects of aging and improve the function of the regions that are most heavily influenced by aging, as well as play an important role in preserving the brain and cognition during old age.
authors.affiliation: Center on Aging Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Center on Aging Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xinyi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Center on Aging Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Shufei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Center on Aging Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yanan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.affiliation: Center on Aging Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhiwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Center on Aging Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Center on Aging Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Baoxi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Center on Aging Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: aging; fMRI; functional connectivity; intervention; plasticity