High resolution diffusion tensor imaging of the human cortex reveals non-linear trajectories over the healthy lifespan

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Conflicts of Interest

Identified Weaknesses

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Paper Summary

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Brains Get Thinner and Weirder with Age (Diffusion-Wise)

This study used high-resolution diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to track changes in the human cortex across the lifespan (ages 5-74). Cortical thickness followed the expected pattern of decreasing with age, while other DTI measures like fractional anisotropy and diffusivity followed U-shaped trajectories, with minimum values in adulthood. Radiality, a measure specific to cortical diffusion, showed a unique cubic trajectory, decreasing in both childhood and old age.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

None identified.

Identified Weaknesses

Lack of gyri/sulci differentiation

The study did not distinguish between cortex at the crown of gyri and deeper sulci, which have different neuronal organization and might show different patterns of diffusion.

Limited resolution despite high-resolution DTI

While the study used a high-resolution DTI method, distinguishing fine details within the cortex remains challenging, especially considering the averaging of signals from all six cortical layers. This might mask subtle microstructural variations.

Partial volume effects

Partial volume effects from neighboring white matter and CSF can introduce bias into diffusion measurements, potentially affecting the accuracy of the observed age-related changes.

Cross-sectional design

The cross-sectional design captures differences between age groups at a single point in time and cannot provide information on individual trajectories of change. Longitudinal studies would be necessary to track how cortical diffusion changes within individuals over time.

Surface averaging across lobes

The averaging across different cortical regions within lobes simplifies the analysis but masks any finer scale microstructural variations and overlooks potentially meaningful regional differences in developmental and aging-related changes.

Rating Explanation

This is a well-designed study with a large sample size and a good methodology, investigating an important topic. The findings are novel and contribute to the understanding of age-related changes in brain microstructure. Although there are limitations related to DTI resolution and potential partial volume effects, these are acknowledged by the authors. Overall, it's a strong study with minor limitations, deserving a rating of 4.

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