Linking the impact of aging on visual short-term memory capacity with changes in the structural connectivity of posterior thalamus to occipital cortices
Aurore Menegaux,
Felix J.B. Bäuerlein,
Aliki Vania,
Natan Napiorkowski,
Julia Neitzel,
Adriana L. Ruiz-Rizzo,
Hermann J. Müller,
Christian Sorg,
Kathrin Finke
Affiliations
Aurore Menegaux
Department of Psychology, General and Experimental Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Leopoldstrasse 13, 80802, Munich, Germany; Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences GSN, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Großhaderner Strasse 2, 82152, Planegg, Germany; Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675, Munich, Germany; TUM-Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675, Munich, Germany; Corresponding author. Department of Psychology, General and Experimental Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Leopoldstrasse 13, 80802, Munich, Germany.
Felix J.B. Bäuerlein
Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
Aliki Vania
Department of Psychology, General and Experimental Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Leopoldstrasse 13, 80802, Munich, Germany
Natan Napiorkowski
Department of Psychology, General and Experimental Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Leopoldstrasse 13, 80802, Munich, Germany; Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences GSN, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Großhaderner Strasse 2, 82152, Planegg, Germany; Hans-Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747, Jena, Germany
Julia Neitzel
Institute of Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München, Feodor-Lynen-Straße 17, 81377, Munich, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) e.V. Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Straße 17, 81377, Munich, Germany
Adriana L. Ruiz-Rizzo
Department of Psychology, General and Experimental Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Leopoldstrasse 13, 80802, Munich, Germany
Hermann J. Müller
Department of Psychology, General and Experimental Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Leopoldstrasse 13, 80802, Munich, Germany; Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences GSN, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Großhaderner Strasse 2, 82152, Planegg, Germany
Christian Sorg
Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675, Munich, Germany; TUM-Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675, Munich, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
Kathrin Finke
Department of Psychology, General and Experimental Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Leopoldstrasse 13, 80802, Munich, Germany; Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences GSN, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Großhaderner Strasse 2, 82152, Planegg, Germany; Hans-Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747, Jena, Germany
Aging impacts both visual short-term memory (vSTM) capacity and thalamo-cortical connectivity. According to the Neural Theory of Visual Attention, vSTM depends on the structural connectivity between posterior thalamus and visual occipital cortices (PT-OC). We tested whether aging modifies the association between vSTM capacity and PT-OC structural connectivity. To do so, 66 individuals aged 20–77 years were assessed by diffusion-weighted imaging used for probabilistic tractography and performed a psychophysical whole-report task of briefly presented letter arrays, from which vSTM capacity estimates were derived. We found reduced vSTM capacity, and aberrant PT-OC connection probability in aging. Critically, age modified the relationship between vSTM capacity and PT-OC connection probability: in younger adults, vSTM capacity was negatively correlated with PT-OC connection probability while in older adults, this association was positive. Furthermore, age modified the microstructure of PT-OC tracts suggesting that the inversion of the association between PT-OC connection probability and vSTM capacity with aging might reflect age-related changes in white-matter properties. Accordingly, our results demonstrate that age-related differences in vSTM capacity links with the microstructure and connectivity of PT-OC tracts.
