Prediction of brain age and cognitive age: quantifying brain and cognitive maintenance in aging

So I guess you are on your own to figure how to properly maintain your brain aging. After you figure out how to regain your lost 5 cognitive years from the stroke, because I'm positive your doctor has nothing for that.

Prediction of brain age and cognitive age: quantifying brain and cognitive maintenance in aging

Melis Anatürk∗a,b, Tobias Kaufmannc, James H. Coled,e, Sana Suria,b, Ludovica Griffantia,b, Enikő Zsoldosa,b, Nicola Filippinia,b, Archana Singh-Manouxf,g, Mika Kivimäkig, Lars T. Westlyec,h, Klaus P. Ebmeiera, Ann-Marie G. de Langea,c,h aDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK bWellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK cNORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway dCentre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK eDementia Research Centre, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK fEpidemiology of Ageing and Neurodegenerative diseases, Université de Paris, INSERM U1153, Paris France. gDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK hDepartment of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

Abstract 

The concept of brain maintenance refers to the preservation of brain integrity in older age,while cognitive reserve refers to the capacity to maintain cognition in the presence of neurodegeneration or aging-related brain changes. While both mechanisms are thought to contribute to individual differences in cognitive function among older adults, there is currently no ‘gold standard’ for measuring these constructs.  Using machine learning, we estimated brain and cognitive maintenance based on deviations from normative aging patterns in the Whitehall II MRI sub-study cohort, and tested the degree of correspondence between these constructs, as well as their associations with premorbid IQ, education, and lifestyle trajectories. In line with established literature highlighting IQ as a proxy for cognitive reserve, higher premorbid IQ was linked to cognitive maintenance independent of the degree of brain maintenance. No strong evidence was found for associations between lifestyle trajectories and brain or cognitive maintenance. In conclusion, we present a novel method to characterize brain and cognitive maintenance in aging, which may be useful for future studies seeking to identify factors that contribute to brain preservation and cognitive reserve mechanisms in older age.