Locus coeruleus MRI contrast is associated with cortical thickness in older adults

• Published in: Neurobiology of aging 2021-04, Vol.100, p.72-82
• Main Authors: Bachman, Shelby L., Dahl, Martin J., Werkle-Bergner, Markus, Düzel, Sandra, Forlim, Caroline Garcia, Lindenberger, Ulman, Kühn, Simone, Mather, Mara
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Aging - physiology; Aging - psychology; Attention; Brain structure; Cerebral Cortex - diagnostic imaging; Cerebral Cortex - pathology; Cerebral Cortex - physiology; Cognition; Cortical thickness; Female; Frontoparietal network; Humans; Locus coeruleus; Locus Coeruleus - diagnostic imaging; Locus Coeruleus - pathology; Locus Coeruleus - physiology; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Memory; Middle Aged; Norepinephrine; Pons - diagnostic imaging; Pons - pathology
• ISSN: 0197-4580; 1558-1497
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.12.019

There is growing evidence that neuronal integrity of the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) is important for later-life cognition. Less understood is how LC integrity relates to brain correlates of cognition, such as brain structure. Here, we examined the relationship between cortical thickness and a measure reflecting LC integrity in 229 older and 67 younger adults. Using a magnetic resonance imaging sequence which yields high signal intensity in the LC, we assessed the contrast between signal intensity of the LC and that of neighboring pontine reference tissue. The FreeSurfer software suite was used to quantify cortical thickness. LC contrast was positively related to cortical thickness in older adults, and this association was prominent in parietal, frontal, and occipital regions. Brain regions where LC contrast was related to cortical thickness include portions of the frontoparietal network which have been implicated in noradrenergically modulated cognitive functions. These findings provide novel evidence for a link between LC structure and cortical brain structure in later adulthood. •Locus coeruleus MRI contrast was related to cortical thickness in older adults.•Associations with thickness were driven by contrast of the rostral locus coeruleus.•These associations were evident in regions in the brain’s frontoparietal network.•Noradrenergic modulation of frontoparietal network may explain the relationship.