Mediterranean diet and brain structure in a multiethnic elderly cohort.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether higher adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet (MeDi) is related with larger MRI-measured brain volume or cortical thickness.


METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, high-resolution structural MRI was collected on 674 elderly (mean age 80.1 years) adults without dementia who participated in a community-based, multiethnic cohort. Dietary information was collected via a food frequency questionnaire. Total brain volume (TBV), total gray matter volume (TGMV), total white matter volume (TWMV), mean cortical thickness (mCT), and regional volume or CT were derived from MRI scans using FreeSurfer program. We examined the association of MeDi (scored as 0-9) and individual food groups with brain volume and thickness using regression models adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, education, body mass index, diabetes, and cognition.


RESULTS
Compared to lower MeDi adherence (0-4), higher adherence (5-9) was associated with 13.11 (p = 0.007), 5.00 (p = 0.05), and 6.41 (p = 0.05) milliliter larger TBV, TGMV, and TWMV, respectively. Higher fish (b = 7.06, p = 0.006) and lower meat (b = 8.42, p = 0.002) intakes were associated with larger TGMV. Lower meat intake was also associated with larger TBV (b = 12.20, p = 0.02). Higher fish intake was associated with 0.019 mm (p = 0.03) larger mCT. Volumes of cingulate cortex, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and hippocampus and CT of the superior-frontal region were associated with the dietary factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Among older adults, MeDi adherence was associated with less brain atrophy, with an effect similar to 5 years of aging. Higher fish and lower meat intake might be the 2 key food elements that contribute to the benefits of MeDi on brain structure.
From The Taub Institute for Research in Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., O.R.R., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), The Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center (A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), the Department of Neurology (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.J.M., R.M.), the Department of Medicine (J.A.L.), and the Division of Epidemiology, Joseph P. Mailman School of Public Health (J.A.L., N. Schupf), Columbia University, New York, NY; and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School (N. Scarmeas), Greece. yg2121@columbia.edu.
Yian
Y
Gu
From The Taub Institute for Research in Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., O.R.R., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), The Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center (A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), the Department of Neurology (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.J.M., R.M.), the Department of Medicine (J.A.L.), and the Division of Epidemiology, Joseph P. Mailman School of Public Health (J.A.L., N. Schupf), Columbia University, New York, NY; and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School (N. Scarmeas), Greece.
Adam M
AM
Brickman
From The Taub Institute for Research in Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., O.R.R., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), The Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center (A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), the Department of Neurology (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.J.M., R.M.), the Department of Medicine (J.A.L.), and the Division of Epidemiology, Joseph P. Mailman School of Public Health (J.A.L., N. Schupf), Columbia University, New York, NY; and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School (N. Scarmeas), Greece.
Yaakov
Y
Stern
From The Taub Institute for Research in Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., O.R.R., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), The Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center (A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), the Department of Neurology (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.J.M., R.M.), the Department of Medicine (J.A.L.), and the Division of Epidemiology, Joseph P. Mailman School of Public Health (J.A.L., N. Schupf), Columbia University, New York, NY; and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School (N. Scarmeas), Greece.
Christian G
CG
Habeck
From The Taub Institute for Research in Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., O.R.R., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), The Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center (A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), the Department of Neurology (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.J.M., R.M.), the Department of Medicine (J.A.L.), and the Division of Epidemiology, Joseph P. Mailman School of Public Health (J.A.L., N. Schupf), Columbia University, New York, NY; and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School (N. Scarmeas), Greece.
Qolamreza R
QR
Razlighi
From The Taub Institute for Research in Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., O.R.R., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), The Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center (A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), the Department of Neurology (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.J.M., R.M.), the Department of Medicine (J.A.L.), and the Division of Epidemiology, Joseph P. Mailman School of Public Health (J.A.L., N. Schupf), Columbia University, New York, NY; and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School (N. Scarmeas), Greece.
José A
JA
Luchsinger
From The Taub Institute for Research in Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., O.R.R., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), The Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center (A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), the Department of Neurology (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.J.M., R.M.), the Department of Medicine (J.A.L.), and the Division of Epidemiology, Joseph P. Mailman School of Public Health (J.A.L., N. Schupf), Columbia University, New York, NY; and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School (N. Scarmeas), Greece.
Jennifer J
JJ
Manly
From The Taub Institute for Research in Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., O.R.R., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), The Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center (A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), the Department of Neurology (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.J.M., R.M.), the Department of Medicine (J.A.L.), and the Division of Epidemiology, Joseph P. Mailman School of Public Health (J.A.L., N. Schupf), Columbia University, New York, NY; and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School (N. Scarmeas), Greece.
Nicole
N
Schupf
From The Taub Institute for Research in Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., O.R.R., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), The Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center (A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), the Department of Neurology (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.J.M., R.M.), the Department of Medicine (J.A.L.), and the Division of Epidemiology, Joseph P. Mailman School of Public Health (J.A.L., N. Schupf), Columbia University, New York, NY; and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School (N. Scarmeas), Greece.
Richard
R
Mayeux
From The Taub Institute for Research in Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., O.R.R., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), The Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center (A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.A.L., J.J.M., N. Schupf, R.M., N. Scarmeas), the Department of Neurology (Y.G., A.M.B., Y.S., C.G.H., J.J.M., R.M.), the Department of Medicine (J.A.L.), and the Division of Epidemiology, Joseph P. Mailman School of Public Health (J.A.L., N. Schupf), Columbia University, New York, NY; and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School (N. Scarmeas), Greece.
Nikolaos
N
Scarmeas
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015930:Diet Records; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean / Q000208:ethnology*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000639:trends; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies