The Role of Cerebellar Volume in Cognition in the General Elderly Population

Background:It is unknown whether the cerebellum affects cognitive function in an aging community-dwelling population. In a population-based study on 3745 nondemented individuals aged 45 years and above, we investigated the relationship between cerebellar volume and cognitive function. Methods:Brain volumes were obtained using automatic tissue segmentation of magnetic resonance imaging scans. Cognitive functioning was assessed using MMSE and cognitive compound scores of global cognition, executive function, information processing speed, memory, and motor speed. Linear regression modeling was used to study the associations between cerebellar volumes and cognitive measures, independent of cerebral volumes. Results:We found a relationship between larger cerebellar volume and better global cognition, executive function, information processing speed, and motor speed. After adjustment for cerebral volume, only cerebellar gray matter volume remained borderline significantly associated with global cognition and information processing speed. After Bonferroni correction, the few associations found between cerebellar volume and cognition disappeared. Conclusions:We only found a minor relationship between larger cerebellar volume and better cognition in healthy older adults, which further attenuated after correcting for cerebral volume. Our findings support the notion that cerebellar volume has an influence on cognition in aging, but that it is not the major leading structure.

[1]  L. Garriga-Grimau,et al.  [Cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome]. , 2015, Archivos argentinos de pediatria.

[2]  J. Desmond,et al.  A meta‐analysis of cerebellar contributions to higher cognition from PET and fMRI studies , 2014, Human brain mapping.

[3]  R. Seidler,et al.  Relationships Between Regional Cerebellar Volume and Sensorimotor and Cognitive Function in Young and Older Adults , 2013, The Cerebellum.

[4]  A. Hofman,et al.  Determinants of cerebellar and cerebral volume in the general elderly population , 2012, Neurobiology of Aging.

[5]  Catherine J. Stoodley,et al.  The Cerebellum and Cognition: Evidence from Functional Imaging Studies , 2012, The Cerebellum.

[6]  Jeremy D. Schmahmann,et al.  Functional topography of the cerebellum for motor and cognitive tasks: An fMRI study , 2012, NeuroImage.

[7]  Marco Molinari,et al.  The cerebellar cognitive profile. , 2011, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[8]  Wiro J. Niessen,et al.  The Rotterdam Scan Study: design and update up to 2012 , 2011, European Journal of Epidemiology.

[9]  M. Arfan Ikram,et al.  The Rotterdam Study: 2012 objectives and design update , 2011, European journal of epidemiology.

[10]  D McDaid,et al.  The economic impact of dementia in Europe in 2008—cost estimates from the Eurocode project , 2011, International journal of geriatric psychiatry.

[11]  I. Deary,et al.  Cerebellar brain volume accounts for variance in cognitive performance in older adults , 2011, Cortex.

[12]  W. Thies.  Stopping a thief and killer: Alzheimer's disease crisis demands greater commitment to research , 2011, Alzheimer's & Dementia.

[13]  Elvira Brattico,et al.  Cognitive and Motor Loops of the Human Cerebro-cerebellar System , 2010, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.

[14]  David H. Salat,et al.  Cognition in healthy aging is related to regional white matter integrity, but not cortical thickness , 2010, Neurobiology of Aging.

[15]  Jeremy D. Schmahmann,et al.  The Role of the Cerebellum in Cognition and Emotion: Personal Reflections Since 1982 on the Dysmetria of Thought Hypothesis, and Its Historical Evolution from Theory to Therapy , 2010, Neuropsychology Review.

[16]  F. Kolb,et al.  The human cerebellum contributes to motor, emotional and cognitive associative learning. A review , 2010, Cortex.

[17]  Wiro J Niessen,et al.  A 10-year follow-up of hippocampal volume on magnetic resonance imaging in early dementia and cognitive decline. , 2010, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[18]  Wiro J. Niessen,et al.  Brain tissue volumes in relation to cognitive function and risk of dementia , 2010, Neurobiology of Aging.

[19]  Wiro J Niessen,et al.  White matter microstructural integrity and cognitive function in a general elderly population. , 2009, Archives of general psychiatry.

[20]  W. M. van der Flier,et al.  Progression of Mild Cognitive Impairment to Dementia: Contribution of Cerebrovascular Disease Compared With Medial Temporal Lobe Atrophy , 2009, Stroke.

[21]  E. Gordon,et al.  Relative contributions of the cerebellar vermis and prefrontal lobe volumes on cognitive function across the adult lifespan , 2009, Neurobiology of Aging.

[22]  Jeremy D. Schmahmann,et al.  Functional topography in the human cerebellum: A meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies , 2009, NeuroImage.

[23]  Marco Molinari,et al.  Cerebellum and Detection of Sequences, from Perception to Cognition , 2008, The Cerebellum.

[24]  S. H. A. Chen,et al.  Cerebellar transcranial magnetic stimulation impairs verbal working memory , 2005, Annals of neurology.

[25]  Niels D Prins,et al.  Cerebral small-vessel disease and decline in information processing speed, executive function and memory. , 2005, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[26]  Oliver Sedlaczek,et al.  Supratentorial Age-Related White Matter Changes Predict Outcome in Cerebellar Stroke , 2005, Stroke.

[27]  Joanna M. Wardlaw,et al.  Size of the neocerebellar vermis is associated with cognition in healthy elderly men , 2004, Brain and Cognition.

[28]  M G Leggio,et al.  Visuospatial abilities in cerebellar disorders , 2004, Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

[29]  A. Dale,et al.  Whole Brain Segmentation Automated Labeling of Neuroanatomical Structures in the Human Brain , 2002, Neuron.

[30]  P. Strick,et al.  Cerebellar Projections to the Prefrontal Cortex of the Primate , 2001, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[31]  P. Strick,et al.  Cerebellar output: motor and cognitive channels , 1998, Trends in Cognitive Sciences.

[32]  Alan C. Evans,et al.  A nonparametric method for automatic correction of intensity nonuniformity in MRI data , 1998, IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging.

[33]  R. Hébert,et al.  The Purdue Pegboard Test: normative data for people aged 60 and over. , 1995, Disability and rehabilitation.

[34]  N. Butters,et al.  The Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD). Part V. A normative study of the neuropsychological battery , 1994, Neurology.

[35]  A. Heyman,et al.  The Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) , 1993, Neurology.

[36]  C. Wallesch,et al.  Long-term effects of cerebellar pathology on cognitive functions , 1990, Brain and Cognition.

[37]  J Agnew,et al.  Age-related sex differences in verbal memory. , 1988, Journal of clinical psychology.

[38]  S. Folstein,et al.  "Mini-mental state". A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. , 1975, Journal of psychiatric research.

[39]  Irene Daum,et al.  Cerebellar contributions to cognitive functions: A progress report after two decades of research , 2008, The Cerebellum.

[40]  W. Sturm,et al.  Neuropsychological assessment , 2007, Journal of Neurology.

[41]  J. Jolles,et al.  Stroop interference: aging effects assessed with the Stroop Color-Word Test. , 1993, Experimental aging research.