AUTHOR=Wright Melissa E. , Wise Richard G. 

TITLE=Can Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Be Used Accurately to Compare Older and Younger Populations? A Mini Literature Review

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2018

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2018.00371

DOI=10.3389/fnagi.2018.00371

ISSN=1663-4365

ABSTRACT=A wealth of research has investigated the ageing brain using blood oxygenation level dependent functional MRI (BOLD fMRI). However, many studies do not consider the ageing of the cerebrovascular system, which can influence the BOLD signal independently from neural activity, limiting what can be inferred when comparing age groups. Here, we discuss the ways in which the ageing neurovascular system can impact BOLD fMRI, the consequence for age-group comparisons and possible solutions. While BOLD fMRI is a valuable tool in this context, it is hoped that this review will highlight the importance of correction and consideration of vascular confounds.