Changes in brain structure are associated with aging, and accompanied by the gradual deterioration of cognitive functions, which manifests differently in males and females

A team of researchers from the Beijing Normal University (China) e Banner Alzheimer’s Institute (USA) quantified the age-related spatial aging patterns of brain gray and white matter structures, their volume reduction rate, their relationships with specific cognitive functions, as well as differences between males and females in a cross-sectional non dementia dataset. We found that both males and females showed extensive age-related decreases in the volumes of most gray matter and white matter regions. Females have larger regions where the volume decreases with age and a greater slope (females: 0.199%, males: 0.183%) of volume decrease in gray matter.

For white matter, no significant sex differences were found in age-related regions, and the slope of volume decrease. More significant associations were identified between brain structures and cognition in males during aging than females.

The paper featuring the research may be retrieved from the DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab155