Excess iron in deep gray matter is associated with cognitive and functional decline: The mediating role of white matter myelin
These findings suggest that excessive iron is linked to cognitive and functional decline in aging, with motor deterioration specifically mediated by demyelination of white matter pathways connecting the deep gray matter to the cortex. Together, iron and myelin metrics may serve as early biomarkers of age-related clinical decline and represent promising therapeutic targets for preserving motor function in older adults.
Authors
- Alexandre Rouen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1098-6611)
- Nathan Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3111-5794)
- Christophe Bergeron (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3237-2549)
- Murat Bilgel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5042-7422)
- Noam Y. Fox
- Mustapha Bouhrara
- Jonghyun Bae
- Zhaoyuan Gong
Institutions
- National Institutes of Health (US)
- Institute on Aging (US)
- National Institute on Aging (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- NeuroImage
- Published
- 2026-01-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121730
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00