BACKGROUND Aging-related cognitive decline is a primary risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. More precise identification of the neurobiological bases of cognitive decline in aging populations may provide critical insights into the precursors of late-life dementias. METHODS Using structural and diffusion brain magnetic resonance imaging data from the UK Biobank (n = 8185; age range, 45-78 years), we examined aging of regional gray matter volumes (nodes) and white matter structural connectivity (edges) within 9 well-characterized networks of interest in the human brain connectome. In the independent Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (n = 534; all 73 years of age), we tested whether aging-sensitive connectome elements are enriched for key domains of cognitive function before and after controlling for early-life cognitive ability. RESULTS In the UK Biobank, age differences in individual connectome elements corresponded closely with principal component loadings reflecting connectome-wide integrity (|rnodes| = .420; |redges| = .583), suggesting that connectome aging occurs on broad dimensions of variation in brain architecture. In the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936, composite indices of node integrity were predictive of all domains of cognitive function, whereas composite indices of edge integrity were associated specifically with processing speed. Elements within the central executive network were disproportionately predictive of late-life cognitive function relative to the network's small size. Associations with processing speed and visuospatial ability remained after controlling for childhood cognitive ability. CONCLUSIONS These results implicate global dimensions of variation in the human structural connectome in aging-related cognitive decline. The central executive network may demarcate a constellation of elements that are centrally important to age-related cognitive impairments.

中文翻译：

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人类结构连接组内的衰老敏感网络与晚年认知能力下降有关


背景技术与衰老相关的认知能力下降是阿尔茨海默病和相关痴呆的主要危险因素。更精确地识别老年人认知能力下降的神经生物学基础可能会为晚年痴呆症的前兆提供重要的见解。方法 使用英国生物银行的结构和扩散脑磁共振成像数据（n = 8185；年龄范围，45-78 岁），我们检查了 9 孔内区域灰质体积（节点）和白质结构连接（边缘）的老化情况-人类大脑连接组中感兴趣的特征网络。在 1936 年独立的洛锡安出生队列（n = 534；全部 73 岁）中，我们测试了在控制早期认知能力之前和之后，认知功能关键领域的衰老敏感连接组元素是否有所丰富。结果在英国生物库中，各个连接组元素的年龄差异与反映连接组范围完整性的主要成分负载密切相关（|rnodes| = .420；|redges| = .583），这表明连接组老化发生在广泛的变化维度上大脑结构。在 1936 年的洛锡安出生队列中，节点完整性的综合指数可以预测认知功能的所有领域，而边缘完整性的综合指数则与处理速度具体相关。相对于网络的小规模，中央执行网络内的元素对晚年认知功能的预测不成比例。在控制儿童认知能力后，与处理速度和视觉空间能力的关联仍然存在。结论这些结果暗示了与衰老相关的认知能力下降中人类结构连接组的全局变异。 中央执行网络可能划分出一系列对与年龄相关的认知障碍至关重要的元素。