Major Study Maps the Impact of Aging on White Matter Connections in the Brain

The study participants were part of the UK Biobank study.

The results of the study suggest that those connections involved in complex thinking skills are worst affected by aging, while areas in the brain involved in hearing, and movement are relatively well preserved.

According to the researchers the results of the study will help clinicians understand the process of mental aging, as well as the healthy brain, and will help them understand other related conditions and diseases as well.

Study leader, Dr. Simon Cox, from the CCACE, said, "By precisely mapping which connections of the brain are most sensitive to age, and comparing different ways of measuring them, we hope to provide a reference point for future brain research in health and disease."

Related Links:
University of Edinburgh Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology