Background
Cognitive function and decline in aging may be similar to those for aberrant development. This project tracked fine-grained variation in brain and cognition across thousands of persons at different ages (3-100 years). We hypothesized that factors affecting brain and cognition in aging will often do so through a life-long accumulation of impact and not be specific to aging, may often represent quantitative rather than qualitative differences between health and decline, and constitute a range of environmental and genetic factors and their interplay.
Data collection and objectives
A unique combination of a longitudinal neurocognitive imaging experimental approach and registry data, national and international cross-disciplinary collaboration, yielded novel possibilities to uncover determinants of healthy aging of brain and cognition, preventive and intervention measures to reduce cognitive decline.
In the first phases of the project, we focused on obtaining and coupling our data with information from registries, especially information from conscriptionas well as from the medical birth registry. Further, we have focused on enriching our large data samples with more information about early life factors, as well as genetics. In an initial phase of the project, we have e.g. tracked variation in cortical area of regions related to general cognitive function, and established parallel lifespan trajectories for higher and lower functioning groups. We found that birth weight was positively related to cortical arealization of the identified regions. We have completed coupling information from conscription, where data were somewhat restricted, and the coupling data from the medical birth registry to our detailed neurocognitive examinations and results from neuroimaging examinations.
Results
Results from the project show that cortical regions that develop together in childhood also change together throughout life, demonstrating continuity in regionalization of cortical changes. Further, the results suggest that development of cortical regionalization is a continuous process from the embryonic stage throughout life.
The main conclusion of the project is that the main hypothesis we were working on - that early life factors have an impact on the brain and cognition throughout life - is correct. We have tested and illustrated this in a number of different ways, from different angles, and with different data sources. In order to meet the challenges of the aging population, it is therefore crucial that we use a lifespan perspective in research, including a focus on early life factors. This is very relevant knowledge in e.g. neonatology and pediatrics, as well as in the early follow-up of the cognitive development of children. This new knowledge can also help to have more realistic expectations about how much and how we can influence the brain in ageing. Our research suggests that efforts to postpone cognitive and/or mental decline or diseases should not only be targeted at old age, but also much earlier in life.
Publications
Neurodevelopmental origins of lifespan changes in brain and cognition, PNAS 2016
Financing
Norwegian Research Council grant nr. 239889 Aging starts in the womb.