Subcortical volumes across the lifespan: Data from 18,605 healthy individuals aged 3–90 years
Danai Dima, Amirhossein Modabbernia, Efstathios Papachristou, Gaëlle E. Doucet, Ingrid Agartz, Moji Aghajani, Theophilus N. Akudjedu, Anton Albajes‐Eizagirre, Dag Alnæs, Kathryn Alpert, Micael Andersson, Nancy C. Andreasen, Ole A. Andreassen, Philip Asherson, Tobias Banaschewski, Núria Bargalló, Sarah Baumeister, Ramona Baur‐Streubel, Alessandro Bertolino, Aurora Bonvino, Dorret I. Boomsma, Stefan Borgwardt, Josiane Bourque, Daniel Brandeis, Alan Breier, Henry Brodaty, Rachel M. Brouwer, Jan K. Buitelaar, Geraldo F. Busatto, Randy L. Buckner, Vince D. Calhoun, Erick J. Canales‐Rodríguez, Dara M. Cannon, Xavier Caseras, F. Xavier Castellanos, Simon Červenka, Tiffany Chaim-Avancini, Christopher R. K. Ching, Viktoria Chubar, Vincent P. Clark, Patricia Conrod, Annette Conzelmann, Benedicto Crespo‐Facorro, Fabrice Crivello, Eveline A. Crone, Udo Dannlowski, Anders M. Dale, Christopher G. Davey, Eco J. C. de Geus, Lieuwe de Haan, Greig I. de Zubicaray, Anouk den Braber, Erin W. Dickie, Annabella Di Giorgio, Nhat Trung Doan, Erlend S. Dørum, Stefan Ehrlich, Susanne Erk, Thomas Espeseth, Helena Fatouros‐Bergman, Simon E. Fisher, Jean‐Paul Fouché, Barbara Franke, Thomas Frodl, Paola Fuentes‐Claramonte, David C. Glahn, Ian H. Gotlib, Hans J. Grabe, O. Grimm, Nynke A. Groenewold, Dominik Grotegerd, Oliver Gruber, Patricia Gruner, Rachel E. Gur, Ruben C. Gur, Tim Hahn, Ben J. Harrison, Catharine A Hartman, Sean N. Hatton, Andreas Heinz, Dirk J. Heslenfeld, Derrek P. Hibar, Ian B. Hickie, Beng‐Choon Ho, Pieter J. Hoekstra, Sarah Hohmann, Avram J. Holmes, Martine Hoogman, Norbert Hosten, Fleur M. Howells, Hilleke E. Hulshoff Pol, Chaim Huyser, Neda Jahanshad, Anthony James, Terry L. Jernigan, Jiyang Jiang, Erik G. Jönsson, John A. Joska, René S. Kahn, Andrew Kalnin
Abstract
Age has a major effect on brain volume. However, the normative studies available are constrained by small sample sizes, restricted age coverage and significant methodological variability. These limitations introduce inconsistencies and may obscure or distort the lifespan trajectories of brain morphometry. In response, we capitalized on the resources of the Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium to examine age-related trajectories inferred from cross-sectional measures of the ventricles, the basal ganglia (caudate, putamen, pallidum, and nucleus accumbens), the thalamus, hippocampus and amygdala using magnetic resonance imaging data obtained from 18,605 individuals aged 3-90 years. All subcortical structure volumes were at their maximum value early in life. The volume of the basal ganglia showed a monotonic negative association with age thereafter; there was no significant association between age and the volumes of the thalamus, amygdala and the hippocampus (with some degree of decline in thalamus) until the sixth decade of life after which they also showed a steep negative association with age. The lateral ventricles showed continuous enlargement throughout the lifespan. Age was positively associated with inter-individual variability in the hippocampus and amygdala and the lateral ventricles. These results were robust to potential confounders and could be used to examine the functional significance of deviations from typical age-related morphometric patterns.