Abstract
Decline in cognitive performance in old age is linked to both suboptimal neural processing in grey matter (GM) and reduced integrity of white matter (WM), but the whole-brain structure-function-cognition associations remain poorly understood. Here we apply a novel measure of GM processing–moment-to-moment variability in the blood oxygenation level-dependent signal (SDBOLD)—to study the associations between GM function during resting state, performance on four main cognitive domains (i.e., fluid intelligence, perceptual speed, episodic memory, vocabulary), and WM microstructural integrity in 91 healthy older adults (aged 60-80 years). We modeled the relations between whole-GM SDBOLD with cognitive performance using multivariate partial least squares analysis. We found that greater SDBOLD was associated with better fluid abilities and memory. Most of regions showing behaviorally relevant SDBOLD (e.g., precuneus and insula) were localized to inter- or intra-network “hubs” that connect and integrate segregated functional domains in the brain. Our results suggest that optimal dynamic range of neural processing in hub regions may support cognitive operations that specifically rely on the most flexible neural processing and complex cross-talk between different brain networks. Finally, we demonstrated that older adults with greater WM integrity in all major WM tracts had also greater SDBOLD and better performance on tests of memory and fluid abilities. We conclude that SDBOLD is a promising functional neural correlate of individual differences in cognition in healthy older adults and is supported by overall WM integrity.
Highlights
Cognitive performance, such memory, reasoning, perceptual speed, and maintenance of semantic knowledge, relies on the neural processing in grey matter (GM) and the integrity of white matter (WM)
We modeled the relations between whole-GM SDBOLD with cognitive performance using multivariate partial least squares analysis (PLS; [24])
The behavioral PLS analysis begins with the correlation matrix between the individual scores on the four cognitive components and each voxel’s SDBOLD; correlations are calculated across subjects
Summary
Cognitive performance, such memory, reasoning, perceptual speed, and maintenance of semantic knowledge, relies on the neural processing in grey matter (GM) and the integrity of white matter (WM). Many neuroimaging studies attempt to link age-related differences in cognitive performance with either blood-oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal magnitude. BOLD Variability, and White Matter in Aging and localization [1,2] or WM integrity [3]. Designs and results of the functional studies are region-, and cognitive task-specific, and yield mixed results. As a consequence, combining whole-brain GM function with WM structure in aging remains a challenge and has been rarely attempted. A more general functional measure would be useful in linking GM processing with WM integrity and individual differences in cognition in aging
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