Computed tomography assessment of brain atrophy in centenarians

Abstract

The aim of our study was to compare the degree of brain atrophy in centenarians and in seniors 70-99 years old. The study group consisted of 23 patients aged 100-106 years. The control group consisted of 90 patients, 30 in each age subgroup 90-99, 80-89, 70-79. In all the patients, the brain atrophy linear parameters were measured on computed tomography scans, in relation to both “subcortical atrophy”, evaluated as progressive widening of the ventricular system, and “cortical atrophy”, defined as widening of subarachnoid space. Secondary indices based on the parameters were calculated. Correlations between the above parameters/indices and age were tested. Significantly different values between the centenarians and the control group were found in the brain atrophy parameters: A, B, C, E, FI, ICR, ICL, SW, CFW, F/A ‘frontal horn index’, A/G ‘Evans index’, D/A ‘ventricular index’, H/E ‘cella media Schiersmann index’, A+B ‘Huckman number’. Correlations between parameter/index and age were found for: A, B, C, FI, ICR, ICL, SW, F/A ‘frontal horn index’, A/G ‘Evans index’, D/A ‘ventricular index’, H/E ‘cella media Schiersmann index’, A+B ‘Huckman number’. Brain atrophy associated with aging is a continuously advancing process, affecting centenarians even more than people before the “magic” threshold of 100 years.