Right fronto-parietal networks mediate the neurocognitive benefits of enriched environments
Exposure to enriched environments throughout a lifetime, providing so called reserve, protects against cognitive decline in later years. It has been hypothesised that high levels of alertness necessitated by enriched environments might strengthen the right fronto-parietal networks to facilitate this...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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Oxford University Press
2022
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| _version_ | 1797107263151800320 |
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| author | Brosnan, MB Shalev, N Ramduny, J Sotiropoulos, SN Chechlacz, M |
| author_facet | Brosnan, MB Shalev, N Ramduny, J Sotiropoulos, SN Chechlacz, M |
| author_sort | Brosnan, MB |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Exposure to enriched environments throughout a lifetime, providing so called reserve, protects against cognitive decline in later years. It has been hypothesised that high levels of alertness necessitated by enriched environments might strengthen the right fronto-parietal networks to facilitate this neurocognitive resilience. We have previously shown that enriched environments offset age-related deficits in selective attention by preserving grey matter within right fronto-parietal regions. Here, using neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging, we examined the relationship between enriched environments, microstructural properties of fronto-parietal white matter association pathways (three branches of the superior longitudinal fasciculus), structural brain health (atrophy), and attention (alertness, orienting and executive control) in a group of older adults. We show that exposure to enriched environments is associated with a lower orientation dispersion index within the right superior longitudinal fasciculus 1 which in turn mediates the relationship between enriched environments and alertness, as well as grey- and white-matter atrophy. This suggests that enriched environments may induce white matter plasticity (and prevent age-related dispersion of axons) within the right fronto-parietal networks to facilitate the preservation of neurocognitive health in later years. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T07:12:02Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:4046c718-2cce-4993-903d-1afafbdda985 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T07:12:02Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher | Oxford University Press |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:4046c718-2cce-4993-903d-1afafbdda9852022-07-13T10:05:55ZRight fronto-parietal networks mediate the neurocognitive benefits of enriched environmentsJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:4046c718-2cce-4993-903d-1afafbdda985EnglishSymplectic ElementsOxford University Press2022Brosnan, MBShalev, NRamduny, JSotiropoulos, SNChechlacz, MExposure to enriched environments throughout a lifetime, providing so called reserve, protects against cognitive decline in later years. It has been hypothesised that high levels of alertness necessitated by enriched environments might strengthen the right fronto-parietal networks to facilitate this neurocognitive resilience. We have previously shown that enriched environments offset age-related deficits in selective attention by preserving grey matter within right fronto-parietal regions. Here, using neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging, we examined the relationship between enriched environments, microstructural properties of fronto-parietal white matter association pathways (three branches of the superior longitudinal fasciculus), structural brain health (atrophy), and attention (alertness, orienting and executive control) in a group of older adults. We show that exposure to enriched environments is associated with a lower orientation dispersion index within the right superior longitudinal fasciculus 1 which in turn mediates the relationship between enriched environments and alertness, as well as grey- and white-matter atrophy. This suggests that enriched environments may induce white matter plasticity (and prevent age-related dispersion of axons) within the right fronto-parietal networks to facilitate the preservation of neurocognitive health in later years. |
| spellingShingle | Brosnan, MB Shalev, N Ramduny, J Sotiropoulos, SN Chechlacz, M Right fronto-parietal networks mediate the neurocognitive benefits of enriched environments |
| title | Right fronto-parietal networks mediate the neurocognitive benefits of enriched environments |
| title_full | Right fronto-parietal networks mediate the neurocognitive benefits of enriched environments |
| title_fullStr | Right fronto-parietal networks mediate the neurocognitive benefits of enriched environments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Right fronto-parietal networks mediate the neurocognitive benefits of enriched environments |
| title_short | Right fronto-parietal networks mediate the neurocognitive benefits of enriched environments |
| title_sort | right fronto parietal networks mediate the neurocognitive benefits of enriched environments |
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