Reference ability neural networks and behavioral performance across the adult life span.

TitleReference ability neural networks and behavioral performance across the adult life span.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2018
AuthorsHabeck C, Eich T, Razlighi R, Gazes Y, Stern Y
JournalNeuroimage
Volume172
Pagination51-63
Date Published2018 05 15
ISSN1095-9572
KeywordsAdult, Aged, Aging, Brain, Brain Mapping, Cognition, Female, Humans, Longevity, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Nerve Net, Young Adult
Abstract

To better understand the impact of aging, along with other demographic and brain health variables, on the neural networks that support different aspects of cognitive performance, we applied a brute-force search technique based on Principal Components Analysis to derive 4 corresponding spatial covariance patterns (termed Reference Ability Neural Networks -RANNs) from a large sample of participants across the age range. 255 clinically healthy, community-dwelling adults, aged 20-77, underwent fMRI while performing 12 tasks, 3 tasks for each of the following cognitive reference abilities: Episodic Memory, Reasoning, Perceptual Speed, and Vocabulary. The derived RANNs (1) showed selective activation to their specific cognitive domain and (2) correlated with behavioral performance. Quasi out-of-sample replication with Monte-Carlo 5-fold cross validation was built into our approach, and all patterns indicated their corresponding reference ability and predicted performance in held-out data to a degree significantly greater than chance level. RANN-pattern expression for Episodic Memory, Reasoning and Vocabulary were associated selectively with age, while the pattern for Perceptual Speed showed no such age-related influences. For each participant we also looked at residual activity unaccounted for by the RANN-pattern derived for the cognitive reference ability. Higher residual activity was associated with poorer brain-structural health and older age, but -apart from Vocabulary-not with cognitive performance, indicating that older participants with worse brain-structural health might recruit alternative neural resources to maintain performance levels.

DOI10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.01.031
Alternate JournalNeuroimage
PubMed ID29355766
PubMed Central IDPMC5910275
Grant ListK01 AG051777 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG038465 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 EB006204 / EB / NIBIB NIH HHS / United States
RF1 AG038465 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
Related Institute: 
Brain Health Imaging Institute (BHII)

Weill Cornell Medicine
Department of Radiology
525 East 68th Street New York, NY 10065