Selective Preservation and Degeneration Within the Prefrontal Cortex in Aging and Alzheimer Disease

Abstract
AGE-RELATED degeneration of the prefrontal cortex (PFC; herein used to refer to both prefrontal cortical regions and the white matter within the prefrontal region) is greater than degeneration of other areas of the brain.1,2 This is true for diverse measures, including volumetric loss on magnetic resonance (MR) images,2 cerebral metabolism,3 and muscarinic receptor binding.4 The selectivity of the degeneration within the PFC is unknown.