White matter changes accelerate cortical thinning more in men
Across nine years in 104 older adults, white matter aberrations grew 7.2% annually, driving accelerated cortical thinning that was more pronounced in men than women.
Human Brain Mapping
Researchers tracked 104 older adults from the general population (mean age 72.4 years) across nine years, using 3T MRI scans taken at five time points. They measured white matter signal aberrations, a marker of small vessel disease, alongside cortical thickness, cortical area, and hippocampal volume. Baseline aberration volume averaged 3.6 cm³ and grew by an average of 7.2% per year in both men and women. Rising aberration volume accelerated cortical thinning beyond standard age-related changes. This thinning was more pronounced and spanned more brain lobes in men than in women, despite both sexes having similar aberration volumes and growth rates. In affected lobes, men also uniquely displayed an increase in cortical area as aberrations rose. Aberration growth was not directly associated with changes in hippocampal volume.
Why it matters
The findings show that cerebral vascular pathology compounds age-related cortical loss and reveal marked sex differences in how the aging brain structurally responds to small vessel disease.
Caveats
The study was observational and followed a modest sample of 104 older adults born between 1936 and 1942, which may limit generalizability.
The paper
Norwegian University of Science and Technology · University Hospital of North Norway
Human Brain Mapping · 29 Sep 2026 · CC BY-NC-ND