Abstract Details

Title MRI Investigation of Caudate Networks in the Normal Aging

Topic Aging, Dementia, and Behavioral Neurology

Presentation(s) P10 - Poster Session 10 (8:00 AM-9:00 AM)

Poster/Presentation
Number 3-003

Background Neurogenesis decline with aging may be associated with brain atrophy. Subventricular zone (SVZ) neuron precursor cells possibly modulate striatal neuronal activity via the release of soluble molecules. Neurogenesis decay in SVZ may result in structural alterations of brain regions connected to the caudate, particularly to its medial component.

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate how the functional organization of caudate networks relates to structural brain changes with aging.

Design/Methods 143 normal subjects were recruited: 50 “young” (20-35 years [young controls: YC]) and 93 “old” (36-85 years [old controls: OC]). In YC, stepwise functional connectivity (SFC) was used to characterize regions that connect to medial and lateral caudate at different levels of link-step distances. Atrophy of medial- (MCR) and lateral- (LCR) caudate connected regions was estimated in OC using T1-weighted images.

Results In YC, medial- and lateral-caudate showed direct FC to basal ganglia, superior and caudal middle frontal and inferior parietal gyri, cingulate cortex, precuneus, pericalcarine and insula. With subsequent steps, caudate parts were also connected to precentral and superior temporal gyri and cuneus. In YC, medial-caudate showed higher direct FC to basal ganglia, superior, middle and inferior frontal and inferior parietal gyri (MCR) relative to the lateral-caudate. Considering the opposite contrast, lateral-caudate showed a stronger FC to basal ganglia, orbitofrontal, rostral-anterior cingulate and insula cortices (LCR) compared to medial-caudate. In OC, MCR showed greater atrophy relative to LCR. Splitting OC into two groups, the analysis showed that atrophy differences are driven by OC older than 60-years of age.

Conclusions Brain regions linked to medial-caudate appear to be more vulnerable to aging than lateral-caudate connected areas. The adjacency to SVZ may, at least partially, explain these findings. SFC analysis can be useful to evaluate the role of the SVZ in the network disruptions in age-related neurodegenerative disorders.

Authors/Disclosures
Edoardo G. Spinelli, MD PRESENTER	Dr. Spinelli has nothing to disclose.
Federica Agosta (San Raffaele Scientific Institute)	Federica Agosta has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Philips. Federica Agosta has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as an Editor, Associate Editor, or Editorial Advisory Board Member for Elsevier INC.
Silvia Basaia	Silvia Basaia has nothing to disclose.
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
Camilla Cividini, MSc (San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University)	Ms. Cividini has nothing to disclose.
	No disclosure on file
Laura Cacciaguerra, MD, PhD (Mayo Clinic)	Dr. Cacciaguerra has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Roche. Dr. Cacciaguerra has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for BMS Celgene. Dr. Cacciaguerra has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Sanofi. Dr. Cacciaguerra has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for BIOMEDIA.
	No disclosure on file
Gianvito Martino, MD (San Raffaele University Hospital)	Dr. Martino has nothing to disclose.
Massimo Filippi, MD, FAAN (Ospedale San Raffaele, Neuroimaging Research Unit)	Dr. Filippi has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving as a Consultant for Alexion, Almirall, Biogen, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi;. Dr. Filippi has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Alexion, Biogen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, Sanofi-Aventis, Sanofi- Genzyme, Takeda. Dr. Filippi has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Bayer, Biogen, Celgene, Chiesi Italia SpA, Eli Lilly, Genzyme, Janssen, Merck-Serono, Neopharmed Gentili, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Roche, Sanofi, Takeda, and TEVA. Dr. Filippi has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving as an Editor, Associate Editor, or Editorial Advisory Board Member for Springer Nature. The institution of Dr. Filippi has received research support from Biogen Idec, Merck-Serono, Novartis, Roche, the Italian Ministry of Health, the Italian Ministry of University and Research, and Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla.