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Diffusion MRI of Gray Matter Microstructural Profiles in Healthy Aging
Merenstein JL.. Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews, 2026-08-06
Topic: Brain imaging, connectivity and assessment
Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition technique that can provide detailed information about brain microstructure. This methodology has historically been applied only to white matter tissue in the research context, but more recent literature suggests that diffusion MRI can also be applied to study microstructural alterations of gray matter tissue, including in healthy aging. The current narrative review evaluates diffusion MRI studies investigating age-related differences in gray matter microstructure and their implications for understanding cognitive function in healthy older adults. The studies reviewed here report widespread age-related differences in cortical (especially frontoparietal), hippocampal, and subcortical microstructure that is behaviorally relevant– especially for cognitive domains of learning and memory. Gray matter microstructure is consistently influenced by the presence of dementia-related pathology, physical activity, and sleep health, but additional research work is needed to understand the roles of biological sex, environment, and dietary intake. Future work of gray matter microstructural profiles in healthy aging should consider longitudinal designs, combining different diffusion MRI modeling techniques in the same study, and defining more specific cognitive correlates (e.g., processing speed).
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APA 7th
Merenstein, J. L. (2026). Diffusion MRI of Gray Matter Microstructural Profiles in Healthy Aging. Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/e5u49_v3
Vancouver
Merenstein JL. Diffusion MRI of Gray Matter Microstructural Profiles in Healthy Aging. Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews. 2026. doi:10.31234/osf.io/e5u49_v3.
BibTeX
@article{merenstein2026-8f40b6ea,
author = {Merenstein, J. L.},
title = {{Diffusion MRI of Gray Matter Microstructural Profiles in Healthy Aging}},
journal = {Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.31234/osf.io/e5u49_v3},
url = {https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/e5u49_v3}
}
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Key findings
- This methodology has historically been applied only to white matter tissue in the research context, but more recent literature suggests that diffusion MRI can also be applied to study microstructural alterations of gray matter tissue, including in healthy aging.
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Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 57/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 33 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 57 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 33 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 33 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 57 out of 100. |
| Total | 57 / 100 | — |
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