Effects of Age and Gender on Gray Matter Volume
Author Information
Author(s): Taki Yasuyuki, Thyreau Benjamin, Kinomura Shigeo, Sato Kazunori, Goto Ryoi, Kawashima Ryuta, Fukuda Hiroshi
Primary Institution: Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Hypothesis
Regional gray matter volumes of the association cortex of the frontal and parietal lobes would show larger declines with age than the gray matter volumes of the limbic and paralimbic system.
Conclusion
The study found significant negative correlations between gray matter volume and age, with notable age × gender interactions affecting gray matter volume in various brain regions.
Supporting Evidence
- Significant negative correlation between gray matter ratio and age was found in both genders.
- Significant interaction effect of age × gender on gray matter ratio was observed.
- Almost all gray matter regions showed significant main effects of age.
Takeaway
As people get older, the amount of gray matter in their brains decreases, and this change happens differently for men and women.
Methodology
The study used magnetic resonance imaging to analyze brain images of 1460 healthy individuals aged 20–69, focusing on correlations between gray matter volume and age, gender, and hemisphere.
Potential Biases
Potential misclassification during tissue segmentation and confounding factors like alcohol consumption and hypertension may affect results.
Limitations
The study is cross-sectional, which limits the ability to assess changes over time, and there may be selection bias due to recruitment methods.
Participant Demographics
Participants were healthy Japanese individuals aged 20–69, including 702 men and 758 women.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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