Investigating the association between human brainstem microstructural integrity and hypertension using magnetic resonance relaxometry.

The brainstem plays a vital role in regulating blood pressure, and disruptions to its neural pathways have been linked to hypertension. However, it remains unclear whether subtle microstructural changes in the brainstem are associated with an individual's blood pressure status. This exploratory, cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between brainstem microstructure, myelination, and hypertensive status in 116 cognitively unimpaired adults (aged 22-94 years).

Identifying the Relationship Structure Among Multiple Datasets Using Independent Vector Analysis: Application to Multi-Task fMRI Data.

Identifying relationships among multiple datasets is an effective way to summarize information and has been growing in importance. In this paper, we propose a robust 3-step method for identifying the relationship structure among multiple datasets based on Independent Vector Analysis (IVA) and bootstrap-based hypothesis testing. Unlike previous approaches, our theory-backed method eliminates the need for user-defined thresholds and can effectively handle non-Gaussian data.

The Effect of the Human Brainstem Myelination on Gait Speed in Normative Aging.

The brainstem functions as a relay and integrative brain center and plays an essential role in motor function. Whether brainstem tissue deterioration, including demyelination, affects motor function has not been studied. Understanding the potential relationship between brainstem demyelination and motor function may be useful for the early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases and to understand age-related gait impairments that have no apparent cause.

Hypertensive Adults Exhibit Lower Myelin Content: A Multicomponent Relaxometry and Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

Background: It is unknown whether hypertension plays any role in cerebral myelination. To fill this knowledge gap, we studied 90 cognitively unimpaired adults, age range 40 to 94 years, who are participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging and the Genetic and Epigenetic Signatures of Translational Aging Laboratory Testing to look for potential associations between hypertension and cerebral myelin content across 14 white matter brain regions.

Methods: Myelin content was probed using our advanced multicomponent magnetic resonance relaxometry method of myelin water fraction, a direct and specific magnetic resonance imaging measure of myelin content, and longitudinal and transverse relaxation rates ( and ), 2 highly sensitive magnetic resonance imaging metrics of myelin content.

Investigation of the association between central arterial stiffness and aggregate -ratio in cognitively unimpaired adults.

Stiffness of the large arteries has been shown to impact cerebral white matter (WM) microstructure in both younger and older adults. However, no study has yet demonstrated an association between arterial stiffness and aggregate -ratio, a specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measure of axonal myelination that is highly correlated with neuronal signal conduction speed. In a cohort of 38 well-documented cognitively unimpaired adults spanning a wide age range, we investigated the association between central arterial stiffness, measured using pulse wave velocity (PWV), and aggregate -ratio, measured using our recent advanced quantitative MRI methodology, in several cerebral WM structures.

Lower Myelin Content Is Associated With Lower Gait Speed in Cognitively Unimpaired Adults.

Mounting evidence indicates that abnormal gait speed predicts the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Understanding the relationship between white matter integrity, especially myelination, and motor function is crucial to the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. We recruited 118 cognitively unimpaired adults across an extended age range of 22-94 years to examine associations between rapid or usual gait speeds and cerebral myelin content.

Evidence of An Association Between Cerebral Blood Flow and Microstructural Integrity in Normative Aging Using a Holistic MRI Approach.

Background: Cerebral tissue integrity decline and cerebral blood flow (CBF) alteration are major aspects of motor and cognitive dysfunctions and neurodegeneration. However, little is known about the association between blood flow and brain microstructural integrity, especially in normal aging.

Purpose: To assess the association between CBF and cerebral microstructural integrity.