Changes in brain shape may conceal signs of future dementia. In their study, a team of neurobiologists from the University of California, Irvine (USA) and the University of La Laguna (Spain) started with the well-known fact that brain volume decreases with age.
“We found that the overall shape of the brain systematically changes, and these changes are closely linked to the presence of cognitive impairments,” reported Niels Janssen from the University of La Laguna.
What Did the Scientists Discover?
The researchers analyzed over 2,600 MRI scans of individuals aged 30 to 97, as reported by Science Alert. Primarily, the scientists tracked age-related changes in structure and shape, correlating them with the results of cognitive tests taken by participants.
They found that in healthy people, age-related expansions and contractions of the brain were more uniform than in participants who showed cognitive decline.
It is known that areas of the brain in the occipital region shrink with age. During the study, this was particularly evident in those who performed the worst on reasoning ability tests.
The researchers suggested that the entorhinal cortex may be under pressure due to age-related shape changes. This is also the area where toxic proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease typically begin to accumulate.
“This could explain why the entorhinal cortex is the epicenter of pathologies like Alzheimer’s disease. If an aging brain changes in this way, this delicate area becomes pressed against a rigid boundary, potentially creating ideal conditions for damage to develop,” noted Michael Yassa from the University of California, Irvine.
He said understanding this process gives scientists a new view of Alzheimer’s disease mechanisms and possibilities for early detection.
Further brain scans and more precise measurements will help researchers make progress studying changes in brain shape. The team aims to clarify why certain areas expand with age and how this relates to cognitive functions.
The main takeaway is that for an aging brain, volume isn’t the only thing that matters — its three-dimensional shape does too. That shape, made up of many regions, supports our mental sharpness and activity.
“We are just beginning to understand how brain geometry influences the development of diseases. As this study has shown, the answers may be hidden in plain sight — in the shape of the brain,” said Yassa.
The results of the study were published in the journal Nature Communications.
Photo: Unsplash, Openverse
