Microstructural and Metabolic Changes in Normal Aging Human Brain Studied with Combined Whole-Brain MR Spectroscopic Imaging and Quantitative MR Imaging

PURPOSE: This study aimed to detect age-related brain metabolic and microstructural changes in healthy human brains by the use of whole-brain proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging ((1)H‑MRSI) and quantitative MR imaging (qMRI). METHODS: In this study, 60 healthy participants with evenly distributed ages (between 21 and 69 years) and sex underwent MRI examinations at 3T including whole-brain (1)H‑MRSI. The concentrations of the metabolites N‑acetylaspartate (NAA), choline-containing compounds (Cho), total creatine and phosphocreatine (tCr), glutamine and glutamate (Glx), and myo-inositol (mI), as well as the brain relaxation times T2, T2’ and T1 were measured in 12 regions of interest (ROI) in each hemisphere. Correlations between measured parameters and age were estimated with linear regression analysis and Pearsonʼs correlation test. RESULTS: Significant age-related changes of brain regional metabolite concentrations and tissue relaxation times were found: NAA decreased in eight of twelve ROIs, Cho increased in three ROIs, tCr in four ROIs, and mI in three ROIs. Glx displayed a significant decrease in one ROI and an increase in another ROI. T1 increased in four ROIs and T2 in one ROI, while T2’ decreased in two ROIs. A negative correlation of tCr concentrations with T2’ relaxation time was found in one ROI as well as the positive correlations of age-related T1 relaxation time with concentrations of tCr, mI, Glx and Cho in another ROI. CONCLUSION: Normal aging in human brain is associated with coexistent brain regional metabolic alterations and microstructural changes, which may be related to age-related decline in cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of life in the older population. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version of this article (10.1007/s00062-023-01300-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.