What is normal brain ageing? An investigation of changes in brain structure and cognition in mid-life

While brain development in childhood and early adulhood and neurodegeneration in old age and dementia have been exensively scrutinised very little is known about normal brain ageing in middle-age. Pathological brain changes become detectable from the fourth decade of life and sometimes as early as early adulthood. These changes have been shown to have subtle impacts on cognition in mid-life yet their origin, progress, and impact are largely unknown despite being associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment and disability later in life. This project will develop the first detailed and combined map of brain and cognitive ageing in middle-age, investigate their predictors using longitudinal data, and test theoretical models.