Håkon Grydeland

Researcher - Centre of Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition

Norwegian version of this page

Email hakon.grydeland@psykologi.uio.no

Phone +47 22845067

Room A04.025

Username

Visiting address Forskningsveien 3A Harald Schjelderups hus 0373 Oslo

Postal address Postboks 1094 Blindern 0317 Oslo

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Academic interests

What are the brain mechanisms underlying our ability to remember past experiences, how does these mechanisms change over the lifespan, and which factors relate to how people differ in these changes? These are central questions in my research, to which I aim to contribute with groundbreaking knowledge.

I am part of a research center where we approach this challenge using extensive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations to measure changes in brain activity, macro- and microstructure, and a range of different indices related to structural and functional brain networks. Participants, from 4-90 years of age, also undergo thorough, experimental cognitive testing, and report on a host of functional measures like sleep habits. We also measure variation in genetics. In aging, we use positron emission tomography (PET) to quantify brain beta-amyloid. In our new project, we will also quantify tau both using blood-markers and PET.

Teaching

Various lectures, seminars and experimental projects in cognitive neuroscience.

Background

Employment

2018- Researcher, Centre for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo
2014-2018 Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo

Education

2013 & 2016 Visiting Scholar, Brain Mapping Unit (Prof. E. Bullmore), Cambridge University
2010-2014 PhD Research Fellow (The Research Council of Norway), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo
2007-2009 Student Research Fellow (The Research Council of Norway), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo
2004-2009 Cand. Psychol. (professionally oriented degree in psychology), University of Oslo, accredited psychologist 2009
2005-2006 Eramsus programme, part of cand. psychol. degree, Università degli Studi di Roma 'La Sapienza', Italy

Current Grants

2021-2025 Lifespan Memory Imaging Redux – Can Change in Activity Reconfigurations Be an Early Marker of Future Memory Decline? (RCN, € 0.8 mill)

Tags: Cognitive psychology, Neuroscience, Neuropsychology

Publications

Scientific articles and book chapters

Padrela, Beatriz; Mahroo, Amnah; Tee, Mervin; Sneve, Markus Handal; Moyaert, Paulien & Geier, Oliver [Show all 43 contributors for this article] (2024). Developing blood-brain barrier arterial spin labelling as a non-invasive early biomarker of Alzheimer's disease (DEBBIE-AD): a prospective observational multicohort study protocol. BMJ Open. ISSN 2044-6055. 14(3). doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081635.
Spalek, Klara; Straathof, Milou; Koyuncu, Lal; Grydeland, Håkon; van der Geest, Anouk & van‘t Hof, Sophie R. [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2024). Pregnancy renders anatomical changes in hypothalamic substructures of the human brain that relate to aspects of maternal behavior. Psychoneuroendocrinology. ISSN 0306-4530. 164. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107021.
Raud, Liisa; Sneve, Markus Handal; Vidal-Piñeiro, Didac; Sørensen, Øystein; Folvik, Line & Ness, Hedda Tvedten [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2023). Hippocampal-cortical functional connectivity during memory encoding and retrieval. NeuroImage. ISSN 1053-8119. 279. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120309.
Voldsbekk, Irene; Bjørnerud, Atle; Groote, Inge Rasmus; Zak, Nathalia; Roelfs, Daniël & Maximov, Ivan [Show all 18 contributors for this article] (2022). Evidence for widespread alterations in cortical microstructure after 32 h of sleep deprivation. Translational Psychiatry. ISSN 2158-3188. 12(161). doi: 10.1038/s41398-022-01909-x. Full text in Research Archive
Wang, Yunpeng; Grydeland, Håkon; Roe, James Michael; Pan, Mengyu; Magnussen, Fredrik & Amlien, Inge [Show all 17 contributors for this article] (2021). Associations of circulating C-reactive proteins, APOE ε4, and brain markers for Alzheimer’s disease in healthy samples across the lifespan. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. ISSN 0889-1591. 100. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.12.008. Full text in Research Archive
Fjell, Anders Martin; Grydeland, Håkon; Wang, Yunpeng; Amlien, Inge; Bartrés-Faz, David & Brandmaier, Andreas M. [Show all 24 contributors for this article] (2021). The genetic organization of longitudinal subcortical volumetric change is stable throughout the lifespan running title: Genetics of subcortical lifespan change. eLIFE. ISSN 2050-084X. 10, p. 1–22. doi: 10.7554/eLife.66466. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Development and aging of the cerebral cortex show similar topographic organization and are governed by the same genes. It is unclear whether the same is true for subcortical regions, which follow fundamentally different ontogenetic and phylogenetic principles. We tested the hypothesis that genetically governed neurodevelopmental processes can be traced throughout life by assessing to which degree brain regions that develop together continue to change together through life. Analyzing over 6000 longitudinal MRIs of the brain, we used graph theory to identify five clusters of coordinated development, indexed as patterns of correlated volumetric change in brain structures. The clusters tended to follow placement along the cranial axis in embryonic brain development, suggesting continuity from prenatal stages, and correlated with cognition. Across independent longitudinal datasets, we demonstrated that developmental clusters were conserved through life. Twin-based genetic correlations revealed distinct sets of genes governing change in each cluster. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms-based analyses of 38,127 cross-sectional MRIs showed a similar pattern of genetic volume–volume correlations. In conclusion, coordination of subcortical change adheres to fundamental principles of lifespan continuity and genetic organization.
Ferschmann, Lia; Vijayakumar, Nandita; Grydeland, Håkon; Øverbye, Knut; Mills, Kathryn L. & Fjell, Anders Martin [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2021). Cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression relate differentially to longitudinal structural brain development across adolescence. Cortex. ISSN 0010-9452. 136, p. 109–123. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.11.022. Full text in Research Archive
Grydeland, Håkon; Sederevicius, Donatas; Wang, Yunpeng; Bartres-Faz, David; Bertram, Lars & Dobricic, Valerija [Show all 16 contributors for this article] (2021). Self-Reported Sleep Relates to Microstructural Hippocampal Decline in β-Amyloid Positive Adults Beyond Genetic Risk. Sleep. ISSN 0161-8105. 44(11). doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsab110. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Background To test the hypothesis that worse self-reported sleep relates to memory decay and reduced hippocampal integrity as indexed by increased intra-hippocampal water diffusion, and that the relations are stronger in the presence of β-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation, a marker of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology. Methods Two-hundred and forty-three cognitively healthy participants, aged 19-81 years, completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and 2 diffusion tensor imaging sessions, on average 3 years apart, allowing measures of decline in hippocampal microstructural integrity as indexed by increased mean diffusivity. We measured memory decay using delayed recall from the California Verbal Learning Test. 18F-Flutemetamol positron emission tomography, in 108 participants above 44 years of age, yielded 23 Aβ positive. Genotyping enabled controlling for APOE ε4 status, and polygenic scores for sleep efficiency and AD. Results Worse global sleep quality and sleep efficiency related to more rapid reduction in hippocampal microstructural integrity over time. Focusing on sleep efficiency, the relation was stronger in presence of Aβ accumulation. Sleep efficiency related to memory decay indirectly via hippocampal integrity decline. The results were not explained by genetic risk for sleep efficiency and AD. Conclusions Poor self-reported sleep efficiency related to decline in hippocampal integrity, especially in the presence of Aβ accumulation. Poor sleep and hippocampal microstructural decline may partly explain memory decline in older adults with Aβ pathology. The relationships were not explained by genetic risk. Poor self-reported sleep efficiency might constitute a risk factor for AD, although the causal mechanisms driving the of observed associations remain unknown.
Vidal-Piñeiro, Didac; Sneve, Markus Handal; Amlien, Inge Kasbohm; Grydeland, Håkon; Mowinckel, Athanasia Monika & Roe, James Michael [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2020). The Functional Foundations of Episodic Memory Remain Stable Throughout the Lifespan. Cerebral Cortex. ISSN 1047-3211. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa348. Full text in Research Archive
Vidal-Piñeiro, Didac; Parker, Nadine; Shin, Jean; French, Leon; Grydeland, Håkon & Jackowski, Andrea [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2020). Cellular correlates of cortical thinning throughout the lifespan. Scientific Reports. ISSN 2045-2322. 10(1), p. 1–14. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-78471-3. Full text in Research Archive
Ferschmann, Lia; Vijayakumar, Nandita; Grydeland, Håkon; Øverbye, Knut; Sederevicius, Donatas & Due-Tønnessen, Paulina [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2019). Prosocial behavior relates to the rate and timing of cortical thinning from adolescence to young adulthood. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. ISSN 1878-9293. 40:100734, p. 1–8. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100734. Full text in Research Archive
Grydeland, Håkon; Vértes, Petra; Váša, František; Romero-Garcia, Rafael; Whitaker, Kirstie & Aaron F., Alexander-Bloch [Show all 15 contributors for this article] (2019). Waves of Maturation and Senescence in Microstructural MRI Markers of Human Cortical Myelination over the Lifespan. Cerebral Cortex. ISSN 1047-3211. 29(3), p. 1369–1381. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhy330. Full text in Research Archive
Sneve, Markus Handal; Grydeland, Håkon; Rosa, Marcello G P; Paus, Tomáš; Chaplin, Tristan & Walhovd, Kristine B [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2019). High-expanding regions in primate cortical brain evolution support supramodal cognitive flexibility. Cerebral Cortex. ISSN 1047-3211. 29(9), p. 3891–3901. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhy268. Full text in Research Archive
Fjell, Anders Martin; Chen, Chi-Hua Chen; Sederevicius, Donatas; Sneve, Markus Handal; Grydeland, Håkon & Krogsrud, Stine Kleppe [Show all 17 contributors for this article] (2019). Continuity and discontinuity in human cortical development and change from embryonic stages to old age. Cerebral Cortex. ISSN 1047-3211. 29(9), p. 3879–3890. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhy266. Full text in Research Archive
Sawiak, Stephen J.; Shiba, Yoshiro; Oikonomidis, Lydia; Windle, Colin P.; Santangelo, Andrea M. & Grydeland, Håkon [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2018). Trajectories and milestones of cortical and subcortical development of the marmoset brain from infancy to adulthood. Cerebral Cortex. ISSN 1047-3211. 28(12), p. 4440–4453. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhy256.
Krogsrud, Stine Kleppe; Fjell, Anders Martin; Tamnes, Christian Krog; Grydeland, Håkon; Due-Tønnessen, Paulina & Bjørnerud, Atle [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2018). Development of white matter microstructure in relation to verbal and visuospatial working memory - A longitudinal study. PLOS ONE. ISSN 1932-6203. 13:e0195540(4), p. 1–22. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195540. Full text in Research Archive
Ferschmann, Lia; Fjell, Anders Martin; Vollrath, Margarete E.; Grydeland, Håkon; Walhovd, Kristine B & Tamnes, Christian Krog (2018). Personality Traits Are Associated With Cortical Development Across Adolescence: A Longitudinal Structural MRI Study. Child Development. ISSN 0009-3920. 89(3), p. 811–822. doi: 10.1111/cdev.13016. Full text in Research Archive
de Lange, Ann-Marie Glasø; Bråthen, Anne Cecilie Sjøli; Rohani, Darius; Grydeland, Håkon; Fjell, Anders Martin & Walhovd, Kristine B (2017). The Effects of Memory Training on Behavioral and Microstructural Plasticity in Young and Older Adults. Human Brain Mapping. ISSN 1065-9471. 38(11), p. 5666–5680. doi: 10.1002/hbm.23756. Full text in Research Archive
Sneve, Markus Handal; Grydeland, Håkon; Amlien, Inge Kasbohm; Langnes, Espen; Walhovd, Kristine B & Fjell, Anders Martin (2017). Decoupling of large-scale brain networks supports the consolidation of durable episodic memories. NeuroImage. ISSN 1053-8119. 153, p. 336–345. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.05.048. Full text in Research Archive
Fjell, Anders Martin; Sneve, Markus Handal; Grydeland, Håkon; Storsve, Andreas Berg; Amlien, Inge Kasbohm & Yendiki, Anastasia [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2017). Relationship between structural and functional connectivity change across the lifespan – a longitudinal investigation. Human Brain Mapping. ISSN 1065-9471. 38(1), p. 561–573. doi: 10.1002/hbm.23403. Full text in Research Archive
de Lange, Ann-Marie Glasø; Bråthen, Anne Cecilie Sjøli; Grydeland, Håkon; Sexton, Claire; Johansen-Berg, Heidi & Andersson, Jesper L.R. [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2016). White-matter integrity as a marker for cognitive plasticity in aging. Neurobiology of Aging. ISSN 0197-4580. 47, p. 74–82. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.07.007.
Walhovd, Kristine B; Krogsrud, Stine Kleppe; Amlien, Inge Kasbohm; Bartsch, Hauke; Bjørnerud, Atle & Due-Tønnessen, Paulina [Show all 22 contributors for this article] (2016). Neurodevelopmental origins of lifespan changes in brain and cognition. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. ISSN 0027-8424. 113(33), p. 9357–9362. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1524259113. Full text in Research Archive
Chepkoech, Joy-Loi; Walhovd, Kristine B; Grydeland, Håkon & Fjell, Anders Martin (2016). Effects of change in FreeSurfer version on classification accuracy of patients with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. Human Brain Mapping. ISSN 1065-9471. 37(5), p. 1831–1841. doi: 10.1002/hbm.23139.
Almaas, Astrid; Tamnes, Christian Krog; Nakstad, Britt; Henriksen, Christine; Grydeland, Håkon & Walhovd, Kristine B [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2016). Diffusion tensor imaging and behavior in premature infants at 8 years of age, a randomized controlled trial with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Early Human Development. ISSN 0378-3782. 95, p. 41–46. doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2016.01.021.
Fjell, Anders Martin; Sneve, Markus Handal; Grydeland, Håkon; Storsve, Andreas Berg & Walhovd, Kristine B (2016). The Disconnected Brain and Executive Function Decline in Aging. Cerebral Cortex. ISSN 1047-3211. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhw082. Full text in Research Archive
Piñeiro, Didac Vidal; Walhovd, Kristine B; Storsve, Andreas Berg; Grydeland, Håkon; Rohani, Darius Adam & Fjell, Anders Martin (2016). Accelerated longitudinal gray/white matter contrast decline in aging in lightly myelinated cortical regions. Human Brain Mapping. ISSN 1065-9471. 37(10), p. 3669–3684. doi: 10.1002/hbm.23267. Full text in Research Archive
Walhovd, Kristine B; Westerhausen, Rene; de Lange, Ann-Marie Glasø; Bråthen, Anne Cecilie Sjøli; Grydeland, Håkon & Engvig, Andreas [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2016). Premises of plasticity - And the loneliness of the medial temporal lobe. NeuroImage. ISSN 1053-8119. 131, p. 48–54. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.10.060. Full text in Research Archive
Krogsrud, Stine Kleppe; Fjell, Anders Martin; Tamnes, Christian Krog; Grydeland, Håkon; Ferschmann, Lia & Due-Tønnessen, Paulina [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2016). Changes in white matter microstructure in the developing brain - A longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging study of children from 4 to 11years of age. NeuroImage. ISSN 1053-8119. 124, p. 473–486. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.09.017.
Fjell, Anders Martin; Sneve, Markus Handal; Storsve, Andreas Berg; Grydeland, Håkon; Yendiki, Anastasia & Walhovd, Kristine B (2016). Brain Events Underlying Episodic Memory Changes in Aging: A Longitudinal Investigation of Structural and Functional Connectivity. Cerebral Cortex. ISSN 1047-3211. 26(3), p. 1272–1286. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhv102. Full text in Research Archive
Grydeland, Håkon; Westlye, Lars Tjelta; Walhovd, Kristine B & Fjell, Anders Martin (2016). Intracortical Posterior Cingulate Myelin Content Relates to Error Processing – Results From T1- and T2-weighted MRI Myelin Mapping and Electrophysiology in Healthy Adults. Cerebral Cortex. ISSN 1047-3211. 26(6), p. 2402–2410. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhv065. Full text in Research Archive
Amlien, Inge; Fjell, Anders Martin; Tamnes, Christian Krog; Grydeland, Håkon; Krogsrud, Stine Kleppe & Chaplin, Tristan A. [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2016). Organizing Principles of Human Cortical Development - Thickness and Area from 4 to 30 Years: Insights from Comparative Primate Neuroanatomy. Cerebral Cortex. ISSN 1047-3211. 26(1), p. 257–267. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhu214.
Fjell, Anders Martin; Grydeland, Håkon; Krogsrud, Stine Kleppe; Amlien, Inge Kasbohm; Rohani, Darius Adam & Ferschmann, Lia [Show all 21 contributors for this article] (2015). Development and aging of cortical thickness correspond to genetic organization patterns. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. ISSN 0027-8424. 112(50), p. 15462–15467. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1508831112. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
There is a growing realization that early life influences have lasting impact on brain function and structure. Recent research has demon- strated that genetic relationships in adults can be used to parcellate the cortex into regions of maximal shared genetic influence, and a major hypothesis is that genetically progr ammed neurodevel opmental events cause a lasting impact on the organization of the cerebral cortex observable decades later. Here we tested how developmental and lifespan changes in cortical thickness fit the underlying genetic organi- zational principles of co rtical thickness in a longitudinal sample of 974 participants between 4.1 and 88.5 y of age with a total of 1,633 scans, including 773 scans from children below 12 y. Genetic clustering of cortical thickness was based on an independent dataset of 406 adult twins. Developmental and adult age- related changes in cortical thick- ness followed closely the genetic organization of the cerebral cortex, with change rates varying as a functi on of genetic similarity between regions. Cortical regions with overlapping genetic architecture showed correlated development al and adult age change trajectories and vice versa for regions with low genetic overlap. Thus, effects of genes on regional variations in cortical thickness in middle age can be traced to regional differences in neurodevelopmental change rates and extrap- olated to further adult aging-related cortical thinning. This finding suggests that genetic factors contribute to cortical changes through life and calls for a lifespan perspective i n research aimed at identifying the genetic and environmental determinants of cortical development and aging.
Fjell, Anders Martin; Sneve, Markus Handal; Grydeland, Håkon; Storsve, Andreas Berg; de Lange, Ann-Marie Glasø & Amlien, Inge Kasbohm [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2015). Functional connectivity change across multiple cortical networks relates to episodic memory changes in aging. Neurobiology of Aging. ISSN 0197-4580. 36(12), p. 3255–3268. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.08.020. Full text in Research Archive
Sneve, Markus Handal; Grydeland, Håkon; Nyberg, Lars; Bowles, Ben; Amlien, Inge Kasbohm & Langnes, Espen [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2015). Mechanisms underlying encoding of short-lived versus durable episodic memories. Journal of Neuroscience. ISSN 0270-6474. 35(13), p. 5202–5212. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4434-14.2015. Full text in Research Archive
Fjell, Anders Martin; Amlien, Inge; Sneve, Markus Handal; Grydeland, Håkon; Tamnes, Christian Krog & Chaplin, Tristan [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2015). The roots of Alzheimer's disease: Are high-expanding cortical areas preferentially targeted? Cerebral Cortex. ISSN 1047-3211. 25(9), p. 2556–2565. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhu055. Full text in Research Archive
Fjell, Anders Martin; Westlye, Lars Tjelta; Amlien, Inge; Tamnes, Christian Krog; Grydeland, Håkon & Engvig, Andreas [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2015). High-expanding cortical regions in human development and evolution are related to higher intellectual abilities. Cerebral Cortex. ISSN 1047-3211. 25, p. 26–34. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bht201. Full text in Research Archive
Fjell, Anders Martin; Westlye, Lars Tjelta; Grydeland, Håkon; Amlien, Inge; Espeseth, Thomas & Reinvang, Ivar [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2014). Accelerating cortical thinning: Unique to dementia or universal in aging? Cerebral Cortex. ISSN 1047-3211. 24(4), p. 919–934. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhs379.
Krogsrud, Stine Kleppe; Tamnes, Christian Krog; Fjell, Anders Martin; Amlien, Inge; Grydeland, Håkon & Sulutvedt, Unni [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2014). Development of hippocampal subfield volumes from 4 to 22 years. Human Brain Mapping. ISSN 1065-9471. 35(11), p. 5646–5657. doi: 10.1002/hbm.22576. Full text in Research Archive
Tamnes, Christian Krog; Walhovd, Kristine B; Engvig, Andreas; Grydeland, Håkon; Krogsrud, Stine Kleppe & Østby, Ylva [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2014). Regional hippocampal volumes and development predict learning and memory. Developmental Neuroscience. ISSN 0378-5866. 36(3-4), p. 161–174. doi: 10.1159/000362445. Full text in Research Archive
Tamnes, Christian Krog; Walhovd, Kristine B; Dale, Anders M.; Østby, Ylva; Grydeland, Håkon & Richardson, George [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2013). Brain development and aging: Overlapping and unique patterns of change. NeuroImage. ISSN 1053-8119. 68, p. 63–74. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.11.039.
Bjørnebekk, Astrid; Fjell, Anders Martin; Walhovd, Kristine B; Grydeland, Håkon; Torgersen, Svenn & Westlye, Lars Tjelta (2013). Neuronal correlates of the five factor model (FFM) of human personality: Multimodal imaging in a large healthy sample. NeuroImage. ISSN 1053-8119. 65, p. 194–208. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.10.009. Show summary
Advances in neuroimaging techniques have recently provided glimpse into the neurobiology of complex traits of human personality. Whereas some intriguing findings have connected aspects of personality to variations in brain morphology, the relations are complex and our current understanding is incomplete. Therefore, we aimed to provide a comprehensive investigation of brain–personality relations using a multimodal neuroimaging approach in a large sample comprising 265 healthy individuals. The NEO Personality Inventory was used to provide measures of core aspects of human personality, and imaging phenotypes included measures of total and regional brain volumes, regional cortical thickness and arealization, and diffusion tensor imaging indices of white matter (WM) microstructure. Neuroticism was the trait most clearly linked to brain structure. Higher neuroticism including facets reflecting anxiety, depression and vulnerability to stress was associated with smaller total brain volume, widespread decrease in WM microstructure, and smaller frontotemporal surface area. Higher scores on extraversion were associated with thinner inferior frontal gyrus, and conscientiousness was negatively associated with arealization of the temporoparietal junction. No reliable associations between brain structure and agreeableness and openness, respectively, were found. The results provide novel evidence of the associations between brain structure and variations in human personality, and corroborate previous findings of a consistent neuroanatomical basis of negative emotionality.
Grydeland, Håkon; Westlye, Lars Tjelta; Walhovd, Kristine B & Fjell, Anders Martin (2013). Improved Prediction of Alzheimer's Disease with Longitudinal White Matter/Gray Matter Contrast Changes. Human Brain Mapping. ISSN 1065-9471. 34(11), p. 2775–2785. doi: 10.1002/hbm.22103.
Grydeland, Håkon; Walhovd, Kristine B; Tamnes, Christian Krog; Westlye, Lars Tjelta & Fjell, Anders Martin (2013). Intracortical Myelin Links with Performance Variability across the Human Lifespan: Results from T1-and T2-Weighted MRI Myelin Mapping and Diffusion Tensor Imaging. Journal of Neuroscience. ISSN 0270-6474. 33(47), p. 18618–18630. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2811-13.2013. Full text in Research Archive
Fjell, Anders Martin; Westlye, Lars Tjelta; Grydeland, Håkon; Amlien, Inge; Espeseth, Thomas & Reinvang, Ivar [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2013). Critical ages in the life course of the adult brain: nonlinear subcortical aging. Neurobiology of Aging. ISSN 0197-4580. 34(10), p. 2239–2247. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2013.04.006. Full text in Research Archive
Tamnes, Christian Krog; Walhovd, Kristine B; Grydeland, Håkon; Holland, Dominic; Østby, Ylva & Dale, Anders M. [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2013). Longitudinal Working Memory Development Is Related to Structural Maturation of Frontal and Parietal Cortices. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. ISSN 0898-929X. 25(10), p. 1611–1623. doi: 10.1162/jocn_a_00434. Full text in Research Archive
Fjell, Anders Martin; Westlye, Lars Tjelta; Grydeland, Håkon; Amlien, Inge; Espeseth, Thomas & Reinvang, Ivar [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2012). Accelerating cortical thinning: Unique to dementia or universal in aging? Cerebral Cortex. ISSN 1047-3211. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhs379.
Østby, Ylva; Walhovd, Kristine B; Tamnes, Christian Krog; Grydeland, Håkon; Westlye, Lars Tjelta & Fjell, Anders Martin (2012). Mental time travel and default-mode network functional connectivity in the developing brain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. ISSN 0027-8424. 109(42), p. 16800–16804. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1210627109. Show summary
A core brain network is engaged in remembering the past and envisioning the future. This network overlaps with the so-called default-mode network, the activity of which increases when demands for focused attention are low. Because of their shared brain substrates, an intriguing hypothesis is that default-mode activity, measured at rest, is related to performance in separate attention-focused recall and imagination tasks. However, we do not know how functional connectivity of the default-mode network is related to individual differences in reconstruction of the past and imagination of the future. Here, we show that functional connectivity of the default-mode network in children and adolescents is related to the quality of past remembering and marginally to future imagination. These results corroborate previous findings of a common neuronal substrate for memory and imagination and provide evidence suggesting that mental time travel is modulated by the task-independent functional architecture of the default-mode network in the developing brain. A further analysis showed that local cortical arealization also contributed to explain recall of the past and imagination of the future, underscoring the benefits of studying both functional and structural properties to understand the brain basis for complex human cognition.
Bjørnebekk, Astrid; Westlye, Lars Tjelta; Fjell, Anders Martin; Grydeland, Håkon & Walhovd, Kristine B (2012). Social Reward Dependence and Brain White Matter Microstructure. Cerebral Cortex. ISSN 1047-3211. 22(11), p. 2672–2679. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhr345. Show summary
People show consistent differences in their cognitive and emotional responses to environmental cues, manifesting e.g. as variability in social reward processing and novelty seeking behavior. However, the neurobiological foundation of human temperament and personality is poorly understood. A likely hypothesis is that personality traits rely on the integrity and function of distributed neurocircuitry. In this diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study, this hypothesis was tested by examining the associations between reward dependence (RD) and novelty seeking (NS), as measured by Cloninger’s Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), and fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) as DTI derived indices of white matter microstructure across the brain. The results supported the hypothesis. RD was associated with WM architecture coherence as indicated by a negative correlation between RD and FA in frontally distributed areas including pathways connecting important constituents of reward related neurocircuitry. The associations between RD and FA could not be explained by age, sex, alcohol consumption or trait anxiety. In contrast, no effects were observed for NS. These findings support the theory that WM fiber tract properties modulate individual differences in social reward processing.
Nordvik, Jan Egil; Schanke, Anne-Kristine; Walhovd, Kristine B; Fjell, Anders Martin; Grydeland, Håkon & Landrø, Nils Inge (2012). Exploring the relationship between white matter microstructure and working memory functioning following stroke: A single case study of computerized cognitive training. Neurocase. ISSN 1355-4794. doi: 10.1080/13554794.2011.568501.
Westlye, Lars Tjelta; Bjørnebekk, Astrid; Grydeland, Håkon; Fjell, Anders Martin & Walhovd, Kristine B (2011). Linking an Anxiety-Related Personality Trait to Brain White Matter Microstructure Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Harm Avoidance. Archives of General Psychiatry. ISSN 0003-990X. 68(4), p. 369–377. doi: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.24. Show summary
Context Emotional, cognitive, and behavioral response patterns underlying temperament and personality are established early and remain stable from childhood. Anxiety-related traits are associated with psychiatric disease and represent predisposing factors for various affective disorders, including depression and anxiety. Emotional processing relies on the structural and functional integrity of distributed neuronal circuits. Therefore, anxiety-related personality traits and associated increased risk of psychiatric disease might be rooted in structural variability in large-scale neuronal networks. Objective To test the hypothesis that individuals with high scores on the harm avoidance (HA) subscale of the Temperament and Character Inventory show reduced white matter (WM) structural integrity in distributed brain areas, including corticolimbic pathways involved in emotional processing and reappraisal. Design Healthy participants completed the Temperament and Character Inventory and underwent diffusion tensor imaging. Tract-based spatial statistics were used to examine the associations between HA and WM integrity across the brain. Setting Center for the Study of Human Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. Participants A total of 263 healthy adults aged 20 to 85 years recruited through newspaper advertisements. Main Outcome Measure Neuroimaging diffusivity indexes of brain WM microstructure, including fractional anisotropy, mean and radial diffusivity, and their associations with HA. Results In line with our hypothesis, increased HA was associated with decreased fractional anisotropy and increased mean and radial diffusivity in major WM tracts, including pathways connecting critical hubs in a corticolimbic circuit. There was no evidence of modulating effects of sex, degree of subclinical depression, alcohol consumption, general intellectual abilities, or years of education. Conclusions Increased HA is associated with decreased WM microstructure, implying that structural connectivity modulates anxiety-related aspects of personality. Decreased WM integrity reflects increased susceptibility to psychiatric disease and represents a promising biomarker that might ultimately facilitate targeted pharmacological and psychological interventions and treatment of disease.
Westlye, Lars Tjelta; Grydeland, Håkon; Walhovd, Kristine B & Fjell, Anders Martin (2011). Associations between Regional Cortical Thickness and Attentional Networks as Measured by the Attention Network Test. Cerebral Cortex. ISSN 1047-3211. 21(2), p. 345–356. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhq101. Show summary
Efficient attention is pivotal for cognitive functioning, and individual differences in attentional functions are likely related to variations in structural properties of the brain. Attention is supported by separate processes, and models of the relationship between 10 attention and brain structure must take this into account. The Attention Network Test (ANT) yields behavioral measures of 3 independent attentional components: executive control (EC), alerting, and orienting. EC relates to resolving cognitive interference, alerting refers to continuous maintenance of a vigilant state, and orienting to selection of and orienting toward sensory information. Evidence from functional euroimaging studies suggests that the ANT components recruit different cortical networks. However, the structural correlates are not established. Therefore, ANT scores were correlated with cortical thickness across the 20 brain surface in 268 healthy adults spanning 20-84 years of age. Specific correlations were found between cortical thickness and EC and alerting in regions implicated by functional euroimaging and lesion studies, including anterior cingulate, lateral prefrontal, and right inferior frontal gyri for EC and parietal areas for alerting.The brain-behavior correlations were relatively stable across adulthood, indicating that factors influencing cortical maturation rather than aging-related atrophy specifically were instrumental in shaping the structural foundation for visuospatial attention in adults.
Grydeland, Håkon; Walhovd, Kristine B; Westlye, Lars Tjelta; Due-Tønnessen, Paulina; Ormaasen, Vidar & Sundset, Øyvind [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2010). Amnesia Following Herpes Simplex Encephalitis: Diffusion-Tensor Imaging Uncovers Reduced Integrity of Normal-appearing White Matter. Radiology. ISSN 0033-8419. 257(3), p. 774–781. doi: 10.1148/radiol.10100179.
Westlye, Lars Tjelta; Walhovd, Kristine B; Dale, Anders M.; Bjørnerud, Atle; Due-Tønnessen, Paulina & Engvig, Andreas [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2010). Differentiating maturational and aging-related changes of the cerebral cortex by use of thickness and signal intensity. NeuroImage. ISSN 1053-8119. 52(1), p. 172–185. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.03.056. Show summary
Cortical thickness decreases from childhood throughout life, as estimated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This monotone trajectory does not reflect the fundamentally different neurobiological processes underlying morphometric changes in development versus aging. We hypothesized that intracortical gray matter (GM) and subjacent white matter (WM) T1-weighted signal intensity would distinguish developmental and age-related changes in the cortex better than thickness. Intracortical GM and subjacent WM signal intensity and cortical thickness was measured across the brain surface in a healthy life span sample (n = 429, 8–85 years). We also computed the relaxation rate of T2* (R2*) from multiecho sequences and mapped intracortical GM and subjacent WM values to the surface to delineate age-related variability in R2* and to adjust the T1 signal intensity for possible confounds of accumulated iron. While monotone age-related reductions in thickness were found, both intracortical GM and subcortical WM signal intensity showed inverted U patterns with peaks from eight to approximately 30 years of age. The spatial pattern of intracortical neurodevelopment followed a posterior–anterior gradient, with earliest maturation of occipital visual cortices and most protracted in superior frontal regions. From 50 s and 60 s, substantial signal reductions were observed in several regions, including the insula, cingulate, and inferior temporal gyrus. R2* showed similar patterns but peaked much later than the T1-weighted signal intensity measures. The results are presented as animations yielding detailed depictions of the dynamic regional variability in cortical neurodevelopment and aging and demonstrate that cortical thickness and T1-weighted signal intensity are sensitive to different cortical maturational and aging-related processes.
Westlye, Lars Tjelta; Walhovd, Kristine B; Dale, Anders M; Bjørnerud, Atle; Due-Tønnessen, Paulina & Engvig, Andreas [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2010). Life-Span Changes of the Human Brain White Matter: Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and Volumetry. Cerebral Cortex. ISSN 1047-3211. 20(9), p. 2055–2068. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhp280. Show summary
Magnetic resonance imaging volumetry studies report inverted U-patterns with increasing white-matter (WM) volume into middle age suggesting protracted WM maturation compared with the cortical gray matter. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is sensitive to degree and direction of water permeability in biological tissues, providing in vivo indices of WM microstructure. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to delineate age trajectories of WM volume and DTI indices in 430 healthy subjects ranging 8–85 years of age. We used automated regional brain volume segmentation and tract-based statistics of fractional anisotropy, mean, and radial diffusivity as markers of WM integrity. Nonparametric regressions were used to fit the age trajectories and to estimate the timing of maximum development and deterioration in aging. Although the volumetric data supported protracted growth into the sixth decade, DTI indices plateaued early in the fourth decade across all tested regions and then declined slowly into late adulthood followed by an accelerating decrease in senescence. Tractwise and voxel-based analyses yielded regional differences in development and aging but did not provide ample evidence in support of a simple last-in-first-out hypothesis of life-span changes.

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Published Sep. 21, 2010 10:02 AM - Last modified Mar. 21, 2023 10:18 AM

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Centre for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition