Helmholtz Gemeinschaft

Search
Browse
Statistics
Feeds

Basal forebrain cholinergic system volume is associated with general cognitive ability in the elderly

[img]
Preview
PDF (Original Article) - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader
2MB

Item Type:Article
Title:Basal forebrain cholinergic system volume is associated with general cognitive ability in the elderly
Creators Name:Lammers, F. and Borchers, F. and Feinkohl, I. and Hendrikse, J. and Kant, I.M.J. and Kozma, P. and Pischon, T. and Slooter, A.J.C. and Spies, C. and van Montfort, S.J.T. and Zacharias, N. and Zaborszky, L. and Winterer, G.
Abstract:OBJECTIVE: At the present, it is unclear whether association of basal forebrain cholinergic system (BFCS) volume with cognitive performance exists in healthy as well as in cognitively impaired elderly subjects. Whereas one small study reported an association of BFCS volume with general cognitive ability 'g' in healthy ageing, effects on specific cognitive domains have only been found in subjects with cognitive decline. Here we aim to clarify whether an association of BFCS volume and 'g' is present in a larger sample of elderly subjects without obvious symptoms of dementia and whether similar associations can also be observed in specific cognitive domains. METHODS: 282 pre-surgical patients from the BioCog study (aged 72.7±4.9 years with a range of 65-87 years, 110 women) with a median MMSE score of 29 points (range 24-30) were investigated. BFCS and brain volume as well as brain parenchymal fraction were assessed in T1-weighted MR images using SPM12 and a probabilistic map of the BFCS. Neuropsychological assessment comprised the CANTAB cognitive battery and paper-and-pencil based tests. For data analysis, generalised linear models and quantile regression were applied. RESULTS: Significant associations of BFCS volume with 'g' and several cognitive domains were found, with the strongest association found for 'g'. BFCS volume explained less variance in cognitive performance than brain volume. The association was not confounded by brain parenchymal fraction. Furthermore, the association of BFCS volume and 'g' was similar in high- and low-performers. CONCLUSION: Our results extend previous study findings on BFCS volume associations with cognition in elderly subjects. Despite the observed associations of BFCS volume and cognitive performance, this association seems to reflect a more general association of brain volume and cognition. Accordingly, a specific association of BFCS volume and cognition in non-demented elderly subjects is questionable.
Keywords:Atrophy, Basal Forebrain, Cognition, Cognitive Aging, Cognitive Dysfunction, Healthy Aging, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Motor Skills, Organ Size, Reaction Time
Source:Neuropsychologia
ISSN:0028-3932
Publisher:Elsevier / Pergamon
Volume:119
Page Range:145-156
Date:October 2018
Official Publication:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.08.005
PubMed:View item in PubMed

Repository Staff Only: item control page

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Open Access
MDC Library