The association of health-related quality of life and cerebral gray matter volume in the context of aging: A voxel-based morphometry study with a general population sample

Abstract

Health-related quality of life is likely associated with the brain via processes relating to physiology, behavior, cognition, emotion and stress. Previous studies with small student or clinical samples have identified associations with gray matter volume in the anterior cingulate cortex, prefrontal cortex, insular cortex, (para)hippocampal area, amygdala, and precuneus. The present study investigated the association of gray matter volume of these brain areas with mental and physical components of health, as well as general health perception, measured with the 12-item Short Form Health Survey, in a large sample of 3027 participants from the Study of Health in Pomerania, using voxel-based morphometry for T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Higher physical, but not mental, health-related quality of life and general health perception were associated with larger gray matter volume of the anterior cingulate cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, insular cortex, and the precuneus with a substantial decrease when controlling for lifestyle, comorbidity and symptoms. Age-stratified analyses revealed significantly higher partial correlations of physical health and left insular gray matter volume in the oldest age group. Our study emphasizes the importance of high medial prefrontal and anterior insula gray matter volume for health-related quality of life on the basis of a large sample size.