Largest Brain Study of 62,454 Scans Identifies Drivers of Brain Aging

The largest known brain imaging study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease involved the assessment of 62,454 brain single photon emission computed tomography scans of more than 30,000 individuals between nine months and 105 years old to investigate factors that accelerate brain aging, reports ScienceDaily . The scans were taken from a large multi-site psychiatric clinic involving persons with many different psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The researchers analyzed 128 brain regions to predict chronological age, and older age predicted from the scan compared to the actual chronological age was interpreted as accelerated aging. A number of brain disorders and behaviors forecast accelerated aging, especially schizophrenia, which showed an average of four years of premature aging. Accelerated aging was not observed in depression and aging, which the team theorizes may be on account of different types of brain patterns for these disorders. "These large studies are essential to answer how to maintain brain structure and function during aging," says the University of Texas at San Antonio's George Perry. "The effect of modifiable and non-modifiable factors of brain aging will further guide advice to maintain cognitive function."