Abstract #0757

Mapping age-related cortical laminar-specific microstructural alterations across the lifespan using high-gradient diffusion MRI

Hansol Lee^1,2, Yixin Ma^1,2, Kwok-Shing Chan^1,2, Eva A. Krijnen^3,4, Laleh Eskandarian^1,2, Aneri Bhatt^1,2, Julianna Gerold^1,2, Gabriel Ramos-Llordén^1,2, Eric C. Klawiter³, Hong-Hsi Lee^1,2, and Susie Y. Huang^1,2

¹Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States, ²Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States, ³Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States, ⁴MS Center Amsterdam, Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Synopsis

Keywords: Aging, Aging, Microstructure, Aging, Soma

Motivation: Age-related microstructural alterations in the cortex remain poorly understood at the laminar level. Advanced diffusion MRI techniques can detect these changes to improve understanding of aging and neurodegeneration.

Goal(s): This study aims to investigate laminar-specific changes associated with aging by employing high-gradient diffusion MRI and SANDI model.

Approach: We applied the SANDI model to high-gradient diffusion MRI data from 72 cognitively healthy subjects and sampled 21 cortical depths. Super-resolution techniques were utilized to minimize partial volume effects, and Pearson correlation analysis was performed.

Results: Age-related microstructural changes were observed across cortical layers, with middle layers showing pronounced alterations in soma and neurite fractions.

Impact: This research proposes a novel approach to investigate laminar-specific cortical changes, enabling a better understanding of normal aging and identifying potential early markers of neurodegeneration. The established methodology can be applied to various neurological conditions affecting cortical microstructure.

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