title: Regional cerebellar volumetric correlates of manual motor and cognitive function.
abstract: Cerebellar volume declines with aging. Few studies have investigated age differences in regional cerebellar volume (RCV) and their association with motor and cognitive function. In 213 healthy older adults, we investigated the association of age with motor skills, cognition and RCV. Subsequently, we studied the association of RCV with motor skills and cognition. RCVs were derived from T1-weighted MRI scans using the automated SUIT segmentation method and clustered using principal component analysis (PCA). Motor skill (manual dexterity, tapping speed, bimanual visuomotor coordination, grip force) and cognition (mental rotation, verbal memory, inhibition, mental flexibility) were assessed. Behavioral measures were clustered into compounds using PCA: left hand motor skill, right hand motor skill, verbal memory and mental flexibility, and mental rotation & inhibition. Volume of the rostral middle frontal gyri (rMFG) and premotor areas (PMA) were related to performance for reference. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and education. Volume of the cerebellar anterior lobe and top of the superior posterior lobe were positively associated with motor skill. Volume of the bottom part of the posterior superior lobe and the inferior posterior lobe was positively associated with cognition. PMA volume was associated with cognition and motor skill and rMFG volume with motor skill. Although these results did not survive FDR correction, their effect sizes suggest that regional cerebellar volume selectively contributes to cognitive and motor skill. Effect sizes of cerebellar associations with performance were similar to those of rMFG/PMA and performance suggesting parallel contributions to performance.
authors.affiliation: School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, 4745D Central Campus Recreation Building, 401 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2036-7603
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Koppelmans
authors.affiliation: School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, 4745D Central Campus Recreation Building, 401 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Yoo Young
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Hoogendam
authors.affiliation: International Normal Aging and Plasticity Imaging Center (INAPIC), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.|University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging", University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirsiger
authors.affiliation: International Normal Aging and Plasticity Imaging Center (INAPIC), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.|University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging", University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mérillat
authors.affiliation: International Normal Aging and Plasticity Imaging Center (INAPIC), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.|University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging", University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.|Division of Neuropsychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.|Department of Special Education, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jäncke
authors.affiliation: School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, 4745D Central Campus Recreation Building, 401 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA. rseidler@umich.edu.|Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. rseidler@umich.edu.|Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. rseidler@umich.edu.|Institute of Gerontology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. rseidler@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Rachael D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Seidler
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
keywords: Aging; Cerebellum; Cognition; MRI; Motor skill; Regional volume