Jeong Ah Kim, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Hyun Jeong Kim, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Chang-June Song MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Choong Gon Choi, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Jeong Hyun Lee, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

So Young Choi, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Po Song Yang, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Byung-Hee Lee, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To evaluate the age-related changes of fiber tracts in normal brain based on fiber tract-oriented anatomy by using of color-coded DTI.

Sixty-seven healthy subjects with age ranged from 6 to 83 years (mean age of 40.2 years) underwent diffusion tensor MR imaging. The subjects were divided into four age groups by two decade as follows, Group I (6-20 years), Group II (21-40 years), Group III (41-60 years), and Group IV (60-83 years). FA values were measured from seventeen regions of interest in the anterior and superior corona radiata (ACR and SCR), inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF and SLF), inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFO), internal capsule, parietal lobe, putamen and thalamus in each hemisphere, and in the genu and splenium of the corpus callosum. The FA values were correlated with age using ANOVA among aged groups. Within the regions that showed significant FA changes with age, a post hoc analysis was performed.

ANOVA among group I, II, III and IV demonstrated significant effects in the inferior, middle, and superior ACR, inferior and superior SCR, lower and upper ILF, superior parietal lobe, genu of corpus callosum and putamen and did not demonstrate significant effect in SLF, IFO, inferior parietal lobe, internal capsule, splenium of corpus callosum and thalamus. The FA values significantly reduced in the lower SCR and increased in the putamen with age continuously. The FA values significantly reduced in the ILF, inferior ACR, and upper SCR after 60 years old, and in middle and superior ACR and the genu of the corpus callosum after 40 years old. The FA value of superior parietal lobe significantly increased until 40 years old and does not significantly changed since then.

The age-related changes of fiber tracts progress with individual difference between fiber tracts and have regional vulnerability even in the same fiber tract as well as between fiber tracts. And fiber tracts have different time courses individually in terms of maturation and degeneration.

The approach based on the fiber tract-oriented anatomy will provide new information to explore structural changes that elicit the age-related alterations in brain.

Kim, J, Kim, H, Song, C, Choi, C, Lee, J, Choi, S, Yang, P, Lee, B, Age-related Changes of Fiber Tracts in Normal Brain Measured by Diffusion Tensor MR Imaging.  Radiological Society of North America 2006 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 1, 2006 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2006/4431308.html