Abstract

Positron emission tomographic (PET) images of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) from 30 normal, resting volunteers aged 30 to 85 years were analysed to identify areas where rCBF fell with age. Images were anatomically normalised, and a pixel-by-pixel linear regression was performed to remove differences in global CBF between subjects. Pixels at which rCBF then showed a significant ( p < 0.01) negative correlation with age were identified. They were displayed as a statistical parametric map (SPM) of correlations. We demonstrate an age-related decrease in adjusted rCBF in the cingulate, parahippocampal, superior temporal, medial frontal, and posterior parietal cortices bilaterally, and in the left insular and left posterior prefrontal cortices (omnibus significance, χ 2 = 2,291, p < 0.0001, df = 1). Decreases in rCBF suggest a regionally specific loss of cerebral function with age. The affected areas were all limbic, or association, cortices. Therefore, these decreases may constitute the cerebral substrate of the cognitive changes that occur during normal aging.

Keywords

Statistical parametric mappingCerebral blood flowPosterior cingulateMedicinePositron emission tomographyParahippocampal gyrusCardiologyPsychologyTemporal lobeInternal medicineCognitionNeuroscienceNuclear medicineRadiologyMagnetic resonance imaging

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Publication Info

Year
1991
Type
article
Volume
11
Issue
4
Pages
684-689
Citations
391
Access
Closed

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Andrew J. Martin, Karl Friston, James G. Colebatch et al. (1991). Decreases in Regional Cerebral Blood Flow with Normal Aging. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism , 11 (4) , 684-689. https://doi.org/10.1038/jcbfm.1991.121

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DOI
10.1038/jcbfm.1991.121