INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 06 Program Schedule 02/15/2024 04:00 pm - 05:15 pm Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60) Poster Session 06: Aging \| MCI \| Neurodegenerative Disease - PART 2 Final Abstract #52 Activity Level, Cognition, and Regional Cerebellar Volume in Healthy Aging Tracey Hicks, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States Peter Selly, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States Ivan Herrejon, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States Thamires Magalhães, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States Kaiti McOwen, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States Grace Denny, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States Jessica Bernard, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States Category: Aging Keyword 1: aging (normal) Keyword 2: brain structure Keyword 3: movement Objective: Differences in cerebellar volume have been associated with cognitive and motor performance in older adults. There is global cerebellar neurodegeneration with age, and decline in motor functioning has been linked to declines in cognition. Increasing physical activity has been associated with decreased risk for dementia and improvements in cognitive performance. Targeting cerebellar volume associations with cognition and activity levels may provide novel insight into patterns of healthy brain aging as compared to neuropathology. Participants and Methods: Participants were healthy adults (ages 35-87) at baseline (n= 91; 52% female) and 1-year follow-up (n= 85; 60% female). Structural brain images were processed using CERES. Linear associations between age and a priori cerebellar regional volume (Lobules V, VI, Crus I and II) were conducted. Cognitive tasks gauged working memory, long term memory, and executive functioning. Linear regressions evaluated associations between cognitive measures and adjusted lobular volume and % time engaged in moderate or vigorous activity while controlling for age. To assess differences from baseline to 1 year follow-up (1YR), differences in slope were assessed for each pair of linear models. Results: A priori regions were run in separate regression models. Age significantly predicted adjusted Lobule IV, Lobule V, and Crus I volume at baseline [t(1,98)>-2.21, p<0.5]. Level of activity predicted Stroop performance (executive functioning) at baseline and 1YR in the regression models including Lobule IV, Crus I, and Crus II [t(1,90) >\|1.99\|, p<0.5; t(1,84)>\|2.50\|, p <0.5, respectively]. Crus I volume predicted Shopping list task performance (long term memory) at 1YR only [t(1,84) = 2.82, p<0.5]. Otherwise, neither level of activity, nor lobular volume were significantly associated with cognitive performance when accounting for age at either time point (p>.05). Slope comparisons between baseline and 1YR models revealed significant differences for the relationship between Lobule V and long term memory performance. Conclusions: We found that older age is associated with lower adjusted Lobule V and Crus I volumes. Greater activity was positively associated with Stroop performance at baseline and 1YR in the context of adjusted Lobule IV, Crus I, and Crus II volumes. These findings are compatible with studies showing links between greater physical activity and improved cognitive performance. While lobular volume varies between individuals, these results suggest that more intense physical activity can positively impact executive functioning abilities and may be a feasible intervention for declines in this domain. Lower Crus I volume has been linked to poorer memory recall in older adults in the literature and predicted long-term memory performance at 1YR in this study. Associations between Lobule V volume and long term memory performance were significantly different between baseline and 1YR, suggesting volume in this region may be important to memory performance in the aging cerebellum. In evaluating the complex relationship between cognition, lobular volume, and physical activity, we did not display strong relationships across a priori regions for the tasks we examined here.

Poster

02/15/2024
04:00 pm - 05:15 pm
Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60)

Poster Session 06: Aging | MCI | Neurodegenerative Disease - PART 2

Final Abstract #52

Activity Level, Cognition, and Regional Cerebellar Volume in Healthy Aging

Tracey Hicks, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States
Peter Selly, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States
Ivan Herrejon, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States
Thamires Magalhães, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States
Kaiti McOwen, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States
Grace Denny, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States
Jessica Bernard, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States

Category: Aging

Keyword 1: aging (normal)
Keyword 2: brain structure
Keyword 3: movement

Objective:

Differences in cerebellar volume have been associated with cognitive and motor performance in older adults. There is global cerebellar neurodegeneration with age, and decline in motor functioning has been linked to declines in cognition. Increasing physical activity has been associated with decreased risk for dementia and improvements in cognitive performance. Targeting cerebellar volume associations with cognition and activity levels may provide novel insight into patterns of healthy brain aging as compared to neuropathology.

Participants and Methods:

Participants were healthy adults (ages 35-87) at baseline (n= 91; 52% female) and 1-year follow-up (n= 85; 60% female). Structural brain images were processed using CERES. Linear associations between age and a priori cerebellar regional volume (Lobules V, VI, Crus I and II) were conducted. Cognitive tasks gauged working memory, long term memory, and executive functioning. Linear regressions evaluated associations between cognitive measures and adjusted lobular volume and % time engaged in moderate or vigorous activity while controlling for age. To assess differences from baseline to 1 year follow-up (1YR), differences in slope were assessed for each pair of linear models.

Results:

A priori regions were run in separate regression models. Age significantly predicted adjusted Lobule IV, Lobule V, and Crus I volume at baseline [t(1,98)>-2.21, p<0.5]. Level of activity predicted Stroop performance (executive functioning) at baseline and 1YR in the regression models including Lobule IV, Crus I, and Crus II [t(1,90) >|1.99|, p<0.5; t(1,84)>|2.50|, p <0.5, respectively]. Crus I volume predicted Shopping list task performance (long term memory) at 1YR only [t(1,84) = 2.82, p<0.5]. Otherwise, neither level of activity, nor lobular volume were significantly associated with cognitive performance when accounting for age at either time point (p>.05). Slope comparisons between baseline and 1YR models revealed significant differences for the relationship between Lobule V and long term memory performance.

Conclusions:

We found that older age is associated with lower adjusted Lobule V and Crus I volumes. Greater activity was positively associated with Stroop performance at baseline and 1YR in the context of adjusted Lobule IV, Crus I, and Crus II volumes. These findings are compatible with studies showing links between greater physical activity and improved cognitive performance. While lobular volume varies between individuals, these results suggest that more intense physical activity can positively impact executive functioning abilities and may be a feasible intervention for declines in this domain. Lower Crus I volume has been linked to poorer memory recall in older adults in the literature and predicted long-term memory performance at 1YR in this study. Associations between Lobule V volume and long term memory performance were significantly different between baseline and 1YR, suggesting volume in this region may be important to memory performance in the aging cerebellum. In evaluating the complex relationship between cognition, lobular volume, and physical activity, we did not display strong relationships across a priori regions for the tasks we examined here.