AUTHOR=Caspers Svenja , Moebus Susanne , Lux Silke , Pundt Noreen , Schütz Holger , Mühleisen Thomas W. , Gras Vincent , Eickhoff Simon B. , Romanzetti Sandro , Stöcker Tony , Stirnberg Rüdiger , Kirlangic Mehmet E. , Minnerop Martina , Pieperhoff Peter , Mödder Ulrich , Das Samir , Evans Alan C. , Jöckel Karl-Heinz , Erbel Raimund , Cichon Sven , Nöthen Markus M. , Sturma Dieter , Bauer Andreas , Jon Shah N. , Zilles Karl , Amunts Katrin 

TITLE=Studying variability in human brain aging in a population-based German cohort—rationale and design of 1000BRAINS

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

VOLUME=Volume 6 - 2014

YEAR=2014

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2014.00149

DOI=10.3389/fnagi.2014.00149

ISSN=1663-4365

ABSTRACT=The ongoing 1000 brains study (1000BRAINS) is an epidemiological and neuroscientific investigation of structural and functional variability in the human brain during aging. The two recruitment sources are the 10-year follow-up cohort of the German Heinz Nixdorf Recall (HNR) Study, and the HNR MultiGeneration Study cohort, which comprises spouses and offspring of HNR subjects. The HNR is a longitudinal epidemiological investigation of cardiovascular risk factors, with a comprehensive collection of clinical, laboratory, socioeconomic, and environmental data from population-based subjects aged 45-75 years on inclusion. HNR subjects underwent detailed assessments in 2000, 2006, and 2011, and completed annual postal questionnaires on health status. 1000BRAINS accesses these HNR data and applies a separate protocol comprising: neuropsychological tests of attention, memory, executive functions & language; examination of motor skills; ratings of personality, life quality, mood & daily activities; analysis of laboratory and genetic data; and state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, 3 Tesla) of the brain. The latter includes (i) 3D-T1- and 3D-T2-weighted scans for structural analyses and myelin mapping; (ii) three diffusion imaging sequences optimized for diffusion tensor imaging, high-angular resolution diffusion imaging for detailed fibre tracking and for diffusion kurtosis imaging; (iii) resting-state and task-based functional MRI; and (iv) fluid-attenuated inversion recovery and MR angiography for the detection of vascular lesions and the mapping of white matter lesions. The unique design of 1000BRAINS allows: (i) comprehensive investigation of various influences including genetics, environment and health status on variability in brain structure and function during aging; and (ii) identification of the impact of selected influencing factors on specific cognitive subsystems and their anatomical correlates.