Brain scan atlases chart age patterns in Chinese adults
Scans of 947 healthy Han Chinese adults aged 19–72 across 11 centers provided reference maps of brain measurements linked to age and sex.
Cohort study, multicenter
Limit: Individual brain changes over time were not measured; age patterns compared different people
Stake: An author works for Siemens Healthineers International.
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Researchers analyzed brain scans from 947 healthy Han Chinese adults aged 19–72 in a retrospective observational study. The group included 421 men and had a median age of 39 years. Researchers used standardized scans and analysis across 11 centers in China to build reference atlases for T₁ and T₂, MRI measurements sensitive to the brain’s microscopic structure.
The fitted curves for both measures decreased through early adulthood, reached their lowest points in midlife and increased in later decades. Age-related patterns were strongest in cortical gray matter, the brain’s outer layer. The atlases also captured differences between sexes and brain regions. Measurements agreed closely across centers in a separate check involving three volunteers scanned at multiple sites.
Why it matters
Benchmarks from healthy brains may support research on age-related brain diseases by providing age- and sex-matched references for comparisons.
Caveats
The age patterns compared people of different ages rather than following individuals over time. The references cover healthy, right-handed Han Chinese adults aged 19–72 and need validation in other ethnic populations and with different scanners or protocols.
The paper
Capital Normal University; Capital Medical University
Human Brain Mapping, May 29, 2026, Open access
