Thomas Richard Barrick1, Rebecca Anne Charlton1, Christopher Alan Clark2, Hugh Stephen Markus1
1Centre for Clinical Neuroscience, Saint George's, University of London, London, UK; 2Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
Recently there has been increased interest in the role of white matter in normal aging, but little research has investigated age-related change in DTI parameters. Using tract based spatial statistics (TBSS) we assessed white matter structural integrity change in a group of 74 healthy middle aged and elderly adults over two-years. Results showed significant increases in MD throughout the whole brain. Significant decreases in FA were less widespread but still present throughout the brain. In particular, we found no evidence that there was a greater rate of change in the anterior frontal regions contrary to the frontal ageing hypothesis.
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