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Volume changes of the limbic system and their link to age-related memory decline in healthy adults.

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Τίτλος: Volume changes of the limbic system and their link to age-related memory decline in healthy adults.
Συγγραφείς: Luo H; Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University.; School of Radiology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Tai'an, China., Jia W; Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University.; School of Radiology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Tai'an, China., Wu Q; Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University.; School of Radiology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Tai'an, China., Li Y; Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University.; School of Radiology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Tai'an, China., Li L; Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University.; School of Radiology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Tai'an, China., Cui D; Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University.; School of Radiology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Tai'an, China.
Πηγή: Neuroreport [Neuroreport] 2026 Oct 07; Vol. 37 (14), pp. 560-569. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Aug 11.
Τύπος έκδοσης: Journal Article
Γλώσσα: English
Στοιχεία περιοδικού: Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 9100935 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1473-558X (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 09594965 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Neuroreport Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Publication: London, England : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Original Publication: Oxford, UK : Rapid Communications of Oxford Ltd., [1990-
Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): Limbic System*/pathology , Limbic System*/diagnostic imaging , Aging*/pathology , Memory Disorders*/pathology , Memory Disorders*/diagnostic imaging, Memory/physiology ; Humans ; Aged ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Female ; Aged, 80 and over ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Young Adult ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Organ Size
Περίληψη: Background: Global population aging highlights the need to explore age-related limbic system alterations, which are closely linked to emotion, memory, and cognition. Heterogeneous volume changes of limbic subregions and their memory-related impacts in healthy aging remain poorly understood.
Methods: A total of 315 cognitively normal adults aged 20-89 years were divided into four age cohorts. T1-weighted MRI was applied to quantify volumes of core limbic subregions. Memory and general cognition were evaluated via the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Hopkins Verbal Learning (HOP), covering immediate recall, delayed recall, and delayed recognition. Associations between regional brain volumes and memory performance were analyzed.
Results: Most regions of the limbic system exhibited a trend of volume reduction across all four age groups. The right anterior basal forebrain atrophied starting from young adulthood, while the fornix, left basal forebrain, and bilateral hypothalamus shrank significantly in late middle-aged and older adults, respectively. Uniquely, the volume of the left septal nucleus exhibits an abnormal increase. MMSE scores declined gradually, with accelerated loss after 65 years. Older adults exhibited lower immediate and delayed recall scores, positively correlated with the volumes of the nucleus accumbens, hypothalamus, fornix, and basal forebrain. No correlation existed between left septal nucleus volume and memory.
Conclusion: Healthy aging causes heterogeneous limbic structural changes, which are essential for sustaining immediate and delayed memory. This advances understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying normal cognitive aging.
(Copyright © 2026 Wolters Kluwer Health, LLC. All rights reserved.)
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Contributed Indexing: Keywords: brain volume; limbic system; memory function; normal aging; structural MRI
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260814 Date Completed: 20260828 Latest Revision: 20260910
Update Code: 20260910
DOI: 10.1097/WNR.0000000000002297
PMID: 42596911
Βάση Δεδομένων: MEDLINE
Περιγραφή
ISSN:1473-558X
DOI:10.1097/WNR.0000000000002297