It is known that the brain volume reaches its maximum in the 20s and decreases year by year thereafter.Research on quantifying brain health and measuring brain age using brain volume is being conducted all over the world. BHQ (Brain healthcare quotient) is a brain health index that is the average of the gray matter volume and white matter connectivity measured by brain MRI, compared with the database for each brain region.This time, we investigated the relationship between GM (Gray-Matter) -BHQ calculated from the gray matter volume of the brain and cognitive function.

　The study included 2013 patients who underwent a brain MRI dock from 2019 to 1799 at a single facility.The cognitive function was measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), which examines orientation and memory regarding time and place.

　As a result, it was found that GM-BHQ strongly correlates with the results of cognitive function tests compared with hippocampal volumetric measurements.In addition, we focused on the fact that some people have cognitive decline and some have cognitive function when brain atrophy progresses, and we investigated exercise habits, drinking history, smoking history, and the presence or absence of lifestyle-related diseases.As a result, those who have maintained cognitive function even if cerebral atrophy has progressed have a long education period, such as graduating from university or graduate school.

　In this study, GM-BHQ, which considers the volume of each brain region, correlates more strongly with cognitive function than measuring the volume of the hippocampus, which controls memory and is strongly associated with cognitive function. I understood.However, in order to apply it to the prevention of dementia, a more detailed analysis of the factors that prevented cognitive decline is required.

Paper information:[Cortex] Gray-matter brain healthcare quotient and cognitive function: A large cohort study of an MRI brain screening system in Japan