Thomas Richard Barrick1, Rebecca Anne
Charlton2, Ai Wern Chung2, Christopher Alan Clark3,
Hugh Stephen Markus2
1Centre for Clinical Neuroscience,
Saint George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom; 2Centre
for Clinical Neuroscience, Saint George's, University of London, United
Kingdom; 3Institute of Child Health, University College London,
United Kingdom
The
aim of this study is to use tract based spatial statistics to investigate
local age-related white matter structural change on a voxel-by-voxel basis
over a 2-year period. 74 middle-aged and elderly individuals were scanned at
both time-points and fractional anisotropy, axial and radial diffusivity were
measured. Significant increases in average radial diffusivity and decreases
in FA were found throughout the white matter in contrast to greater
variability in change (both increase and decrease) of axial diffusivity. This
study is the first to investigate longitudinal change in axial and radial
diffusivity with age.