Meeting Banner
Abstract #4678

Fornix shows a unique pattern of microstructural alteration and a relationship to network efficiency in healthy ageing

Rok Berlot 1,2 , Claudia Metzler-Baddeley 3 , Derek K Jones 3 , and Michael J O'Sullivan 1

1 Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom, 2 Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 3 Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, and the Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom

The link between age-related alterations in individual tracts, whole white matter and network topology remains unclear. In healthy elderly, we explored microstructural variation in temporal association tracts, its relationship to global white matter alterations and structural network topology. Microstructural measures of the fornix, both uncinate fasciculi and left parahippocampal cingulum show significant relationships with age, but only the fornix shows a relationship independent of global white matter alterations. Network global efficiency decreases with age, which is mediated by fornix microstructure. The fornix demonstrates age-related variation not shared with the rest of the brain and a tight link to network topology.

This abstract and the presentation materials are available to members only; a login is required.

Join Here