The architecture of the aging brain : functional reorganization, structural changes, and the role of dopamine receptors

Aging is associated with reorganization of functional brain architecture, potentially leading tocognitive decline in older age. However, the mechanisms responsible for alterations in functionalbrain architecture remain poorly understood. Using a combination of multimodal neuroimagingtechniques and advanced statistical analyses in four independent studies, this thesis aims tocontribute to our understanding of age-related alterations in functional brain architecture andcognitive decline. Study I demonstrated age-related decline in functional brain network segregationin a longitudinal setting. Age-related changes in network segregation were associated withconcomitant losses of white matter integrity and domain-general cognitive function. Study II testedthe hypothesis that older age and lower dopamine D1-receptor (D1DR) availability concomitantly arerelated to less segregated network structure in older age. The results supported the hypothesis,revealing that greater D1DR availability in older age is associated with a more youth-like functionalarchitecture and greater working memory performance compared to age-matched counterparts withless D1DR. Study III further assessed the relationship between D1DR organization and functionalarchitecture. Using a non-linear decomposition method, we demonstrate that the spatial coexpression and distribution of D1DRs are aligned with the principal organization of brain function.Individual differences in D1DR distribution were related to the degree of functional differentiationbetween unimodal and transmodal cortices. Study IV investigated age-related differences in thefunctional organization of the hippocampus, revealing three overlapping modes of organization. Amedial-to-anterior and posterior mode largely corresponded to macroscale cortical organization ofconnectivity, aligned with local D1DR topography. Older age was associated with less distinctorganization of cortico-hippocampal connectivity, and maintenance of youth-like hippocampalorganization in older age was related to superior episodic memory function. Collectively, this thesisoffers multiple lines of evidence for age-related alterations in functional brain organization,associations with white-matter integrity and cognitive function, in addition to a novel link betweenfunctional brain architecture and the D1DR system