Diffusion MRI of gray matter microstructural profiles in healthy aging.

Abstract

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition technique that can provide detailed information about brain microstructure. This methodology has historically been applied only to white matter tissue in the research context, but more recent literature suggests that diffusion MRI can also be applied to study microstructural alterations of gray matter tissue, including in healthy aging. The current narrative review evaluates diffusion MRI studies investigating age-related differences in gray matter microstructure and their implications for understanding cognitive function in healthy older adults. The studies reviewed here report widespread age-related differences in cortical (especially frontoparietal), hippocampal, and subcortical microstructure that is behaviorally relevant- especially for cognitive domains of learning and memory. Gray matter microstructure is consistently influenced by the presence of dementia-related pathology, physical activity, and sleep health, but additional research work is needed to understand the roles of biological sex, environment, and dietary intake. Future work of gray matter microstructural profiles in healthy aging should consider longitudinal designs, combining different diffusion MRI modeling techniques in the same study, and defining more specific cognitive correlates (e.g., processing speed).