Journal article
Education mitigates age-related decline in N-Acetylaspartate levels
Brain and behavior, Vol.5(3), pp.e00311-n/a
03/2015
DOI: 10.1002/brb3.311
PMCID: PMC4356844
PMID: 25798329
Abstract
Greater educational attainment is associated with better neurocognitive health in older adults and is thought to reflect a measure of cognitive reserve. In vivo neuroimaging tools have begun to identify the brain systems and networks potentially responsible for reserve.
We examined the relationship between education, a commonly used proxy for cognitive reserve, and N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in neurologically healthy older adults (N=135; mean age=66 years). Using single voxel MR spectroscopy, we predicted that higher levels of education would moderate an age-related decline in NAA in the frontal cortex.
After controlling for the variance associated with cardiorespiratory fitness, sex, annual income, and creatine levels, there were no significant main effects of education (B=0.016, P=0.787) or age (B=-0.058, P=0.204) on NAA levels. However, consistent with our predictions, there was a significant education X age interaction such that more years of education offset an age-related decline in NAA (B=0.025, P=0.031). When examining working memory via the backwards digit span task, longer span length was associated with greater education (P<0.01) and showed a trend with greater NAA concentrations (P<0.06); however, there was no age X education interaction on digit span performance nor a significant moderated mediation effect between age, education, and NAA on digit span performance.
Taken together, these results suggest that higher levels of education may attenuate an age-related reduction in neuronal viability in the frontal cortex.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Education mitigates age-related decline in N-Acetylaspartate levels
- Creators
- Kirk I Erickson - Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaRegina L Leckie - Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaAndrea M Weinstein - Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPolina Radchenkova - Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaBradley P Sutton - Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana, Illinois ; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana, IllinoisRuchika Shaurya Prakash - Department of Psychology, Ohio State University Columbus, OhioMichelle W Voss - Department of Psychology, University of Iowa Iowa City, IowaLaura Chaddock-Heyman - Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana, Illinois ; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois Urbana, IllinoisEdward McAuley - Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana, Illinois ; Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana, IllinoisArthur F Kramer - Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana, Illinois ; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois Urbana, Illinois
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Brain and behavior, Vol.5(3), pp.e00311-n/a
- DOI
- 10.1002/brb3.311
- PMID
- 25798329
- PMCID
- PMC4356844
- NLM abbreviation
- Brain Behav
- ISSN
- 2162-3279
- eISSN
- 2162-3279
- Publisher
- United States
- Grant note
- T32 GM081760 / NIGMS NIH HHS P30 AG024827 / NIA NIH HHS R01 AG25032 / NIA NIH HHS R01 AG25667 / NIA NIH HHS R01 DK095172 / NIDDK NIH HHS F31 NS089111 / NINDS NIH HHS
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 03/2015
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984002336602771
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