Researchers at the University of Oslo (Norway) set out to determine whether memory loss affects everyone equally or if it is driven by individual risk factors, such as the , which is linked to Alzheimer’s disease. The scientists collaborated with colleagues from other leading research centers.
What did the researchers discover?
The team combined and analyzed data from 3,737 participants with normal cognitive functions, who were observed over several years. This included 10,343 MRI scans and 13,460 memory assessments.
“We now have the most detailed picture of how structural changes in the occur with age and how they relate to memory,” said Professor of Neurology Álvaro Pascual-Leone from the Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Harvard Medical School, the lead author of the study.
The findings were quite complex. The results did not pertain solely to the hippocampus—the area of the brain that plays a central role in memory and learning. The researchers found that memory decline was not linked to changes in any single area, as reported by Science Alert.
A reduction in brain tissue volume correlated with a decline in episodic memory, which is not surprising, but this connection was far from uniform. It became significantly more pronounced with age, especially in individuals over 60, and was most evident in participants whose brains shrank the fastest.
Among carriers of the APOE ε4 gene, researchers observed a faster loss of brain tissue volume and a more rapid decline in memory compared to other participants.
“Cognitive decline and are not merely consequences of aging; they reflect individual susceptibility and age-related processes that contribute to neurodegenerative diseases,” said Professor Pascual-Leone.
The team believes the study’s results are crucial for developing progressive treatment methods aimed at slowing memory loss or preventing this process. These treatments will target multiple areas of the brain and will be most effective if initiated as early as possible. The good news is that the same treatment methods are likely to be effective for both patients with the APOE ε4 gene and those without it.
“The fact that age-related memory decline is associated not just with one region or one gene reflects a broad biological vulnerability of brain structure that accumulates over decades. Understanding this will help researchers identify individuals at risk in the early stages and develop more precise and personalized intervention methods that support throughout life,” emphasized Professor Pascual-Leone.
The study’s findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.
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