June Chi-Yan Lo1, Ruth Li-Fang Leong1, Jesisca Tandi1, and Michael Wei-Liang Chee1
Although East Asia
harbors the largest number of aging adults in the world, there is limited data
on longitudinal changes in brain structure and its relationship with
domain-specific cognition. We tracked changes in brain volume and 5 cognitive functions
over 8 years among healthy older adults in the Singapore-Longitudinal Aging
Brain Study. After adjusting for intracranial volume, demographic factors, and
blood pressure, total cerebral atrophy was associated with faster decline in
verbal memory. Hippocampal atrophy and ventricular expansion were associated
with greater decline in verbal memory and executive functions. These findings
clarify the relationships between age-trends in neurobiology and cognition.
