Development
Author: Mariana Nahir Vallejo-Azar | Email: mvallejoazar@unaj.edu.ar
Mariana Nahir Vallejo-Azar1°, Julieta Laura Rodríguez Valdivia3°, Juana Irene Murray3°, Tomás Picone3°, Juan Ignacio Navarro3°, Victoria Sosa Espinosa3°, María Agustina Lago3°, Paula Natalia Gonzalez1°, Mariana Bendersky1°2°
1° Unidad de Estudios en Neurociencias y Sistemas complejos (ENyS, CONICET- UNAJ- Hospital SAMIC El Cruce)
2° Facultad de medicina, UBA
In recent years, studies have explored brain connectivity across different life stages. This study aimed to analyze changes in the global topology of the structural connectivity network with age in a local population. Structural MRI of 150 healthy volunteers (51 males and 99 females, age: 43.87±16.21 years) were acquired in a 3T scanner. Weighted connectivity matrices and topological measures were obtained using fiber number. Biological ages of subjects were assessed. A combined approach using Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI) and graph theory was applied. Linear models evaluated the effects of age and sex on the measures. Participants were divided into 10-year age intervals, and a Kruskal-Wallis test investigated differences among these groups. This method identified age intervals where topology is influenced by age. Most topological measures showed a significant decline with advancing age, except for path length, which increased. A notable impact on network topology was observed starting at age 61. The age interval of 71-90 years exhibited characteristics similar to those of the 61-70 years interval. The density of connections remained stable, likely due to high variability within each interval. Additionally, sex did not influence topological measures or ageing. Connectivity weighted by the number of fibers was sensitive to age-related changes, with ageing linked to a network with less efficiency, slower communication, greater vulnerability to injuries, and reduced redundanc