Relationships between years of education, regional grey matter volumes, and working memoryrelated brain activity in healthy older adults
Article [Accepted Manuscript]
Abstract(s)
The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between educational attainment, regional
grey matter volume, and functional working memory-related brain activation in older adults. The
final sample included 32 healthy older adults with 8 to 22 years of education. Structural magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) was used to measure regional volume and functional MRI was used to
measure activation associated with performing an n-back task. A positive correlation was found
between years of education and cortical grey matter volume in the right medial and middle frontal
gyri, in the middle and posterior cingulate gyri, and in the right inferior parietal lobule. The
education by age interaction was significant for cortical grey matter volume in the left middle
frontal gyrus and in the right medial cingulate gyrus. In this region, the volume loss related to age
was larger in the low than high-education group. The education by age interaction was also
significant for task-related activity in the left superior, middle and medial gyri due to the fact that
activation increased with age in those with higher education. No correlation was found between
regions that are structurally related with education and those that are functionally related with
education and age. The data suggest a protective effect of education on cortical volume.
Furthermore, the brain regions involved in the working memory network are getting more
activated with age in those with higher educational attainment.
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