Superficial U-fiber systems are understudied using diffusion tractography, despite making up a majority of the white matter connections. Here, we used a large, longitudinal dataset from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, in combination with innovations in U-fiber tractography dissection, to study U-fiber systems in an aging population. We characterize microstructural features, and for the first time, macrostructural features of length and volume, and find significant associations with age. Characterizing what changes occur, and where they occur, in U-fiber systems will complement traditional long-range tractography research to better understand the biological mechanisms of normal aging.
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