Cortex
Volume 47, Issue 4 , Pages 441-450, April 2011

Cerebellar brain volume accounts for variance in cognitive performance in older adults

  • Michael J. Hogan

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychology, NUI, Galway, Ireland
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Psychology, NUI, Galway, Ireland.
    • ,
  • Roger T. Staff

      Affiliations

    • Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, NHS Grampian, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
    • ,
  • Brendan P. Bunting

      Affiliations

    • School of Psychology, University of Ulster, Londonderry, Ireland
    • ,
  • Alison D. Murray

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Medical Science, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
    • ,
  • Trevor S. Ahearn

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Medical Science, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
    • ,
  • Ian J. Deary

      Affiliations

    • Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
    • ,
  • Lawrence J. Whalley

      Affiliations

    • University of Aberdeen, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

Received 29 January 2009; received in revised form 5 June 2009 and 7 July 2009; accepted 17 November 2009. published online 18 February 2010.

Action editor Alan Beaton

Abstract 

Introduction

Frontal lobe atrophy is implicated in patterns of age-related cognitive decline. However, other brain areas, including the cerebellum, support the work of the frontal lobes and are also sensitive to the effects of ageing. A relationship between cerebellar brain volume and cognitive function in older adults is reported, but no study has separated variance associated with cerebellar gray matter volume and cerebellar white matter volume; and no study has examined whether or not brain volume in the cerebellum is related to cognitive function in older adults after statistical control for frontal lobe volume of gray and white matter.

Method

We used voxel based morphometry (VBM) and structural equation modelling (SEM) to analyse relations between general cognitive ability (G) and volume of GM and WM in frontal areas and cerebellum in a sample of 228 older adults (121 males and 107 females).

Results

Results indicate that GM volume in the cerebellum predicts G, even when total intracranial volume (TICV) and GM gray and WM volumes in frontal lobes are statistically controlled. However, results differ for males and females, with males showing a stronger relationship between brain volume in the cerebellum and G.

Conclusions

Results are discussed in light of neurological models of cognitive ageing and the significance of the cerebellum in models of cognitive functioning.

Keywords: Cerebellum, Frontal lobes, Cognition, Ageing

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PII: S0010-9452(10)00025-0

doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2010.01.001

Cortex
Volume 47, Issue 4 , Pages 441-450, April 2011

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