A single brain scan can reveal how fast you're aging
What's the story
Researchers at Duke University, Harvard, and the University of Otago in New Zealand have developed an innovative tool that can determine a person's rate of aging. The tool uses data from a single MRI brain scan to predict midlife risk for chronic diseases that usually develop decades later. It could be used to motivate lifestyle changes for better health outcomes.
Dementia prediction
Tool can predict risk of dementia years before symptoms appear
The new tool can also predict whether an older person will develop dementia or other age-related diseases years before any symptoms appear. This early detection could give them a better chance at slowing down the disease's progression. "What's really cool about this is that we've captured how fast people are aging using data collected in midlife," said Ahmad Hariri, a psychology and neuroscience professor at Duke University.
Tool training
How the researchers developed and tested their tool
The researchers trained their tool, DunedinPACNI, to estimate the rate of aging score from a single brain MRI scan. They used data from 860 participants of the Dunedin Study who had their brain scans taken at age 45. The team then tested it on other datasets containing brain scans from people in the UK, US, Canada, and Latin America.
Health implications
Faster agers more likely to develop dementia, cognitive decline
The researchers discovered that people who were aging faster according to their tool's measure performed worse on cognitive tests and showed faster shrinkage in the hippocampus, a brain region crucial for memory. They were also more likely to experience cognitive decline in later years. In one analysis, those deemed by the tool as aging fastest were 60% more likely to develop dementia in subsequent years.
Overall health
Link found between faster aging scores and overall health decline
The researchers also found a link between faster aging scores and overall health decline, not just in brain function. People with faster aging scores were more weak and more likely to experience age-related health issues such as heart attacks, lung disease, or strokes. The fastest agers were 18% more likely to be diagnosed with a chronic disease within the next few years in comparison to people with average aging rates.
Future prospects
More work needed to make this a practical healthcare tool
The researchers hope their tool will help scientists and doctors better understand why people with certain risk factors age differently. However, more work is needed to make DunedinPACNI a practical healthcare tool. The team has filed a patent application for their work and received funding from the US National Institute on Aging, the UK Medical Research Council, and the New Zealand Health Research Council.