Abstract
Understanding the differences in brain ageing between males and females and the varying sensitivity of morphometric parameters to ageing are crucial for developing algorithms and protocols for objective and quantitative brain morphology evaluation in clinical practice. This study aimed to determine simple and applicable morphometric parameters for quantifying cerebral atrophic changes associated with ageing and to identify specific characteristics of these changes in ageing male and female brains. Two-dimensional magnetic resonance brain images from 100 participants without confirmed pathology of the nervous system, aged 18 to 86 years, were examined. The sample comprised 44 males and 56 females. Each participant underwent an assessment of five sections: four in the frontal plane (coronal sections) and one in the horizontal plane (axial section). The assessment involved the determination of perimeter and area values. Two measurement approaches were employed: one focusing solely on the visible surface of the cerebral hemispheres, and the other tracing the pial surface within the sulci. Derived indices, including perimeter-to-area ratios, shape factors, and ratios of perimeters and areas, were computed based on the acquired data. The study revealed more pronounced changes in absolute cross-sectional area values corresponding to overall brain tissue with ageing in males. However, no significant sex difference was observed in the age dynamics of relative values. The ratio of two cross-sectional brain areas, considering sulcal content and excluding it, has been identified as the most sensitive parameter to age-related changes in both male and female brains. This ratio could serve as an additional morphometric parameter for diagnostic purposes in examining cerebral structure
Publisher
Scientific Journals Publishing House