Hippocampal subfield volumes in periadolescent children: association with hippocampal dependent relational memory performance.

Poster Session F - Tuesday, April 16, 2024, 8:00 – 10:00 am EDT, Sheraton Hall ABC

Abi Heller-Wight¹, Connor Phipps¹, Meghan Ramirez¹, Jennifer Sexton¹, Anna Wilhelm¹, Arthur Maerlender², Vishali Phatak¹, Daniel Murman¹, David Warren¹; ¹University of Nebraska Medical Center, ²University of Nebraska Lincoln

The hippocampus, a structure necessary for normal memory function, shows developmental changes in volume that correspond with hippocampal dependent relational memory ability. However, hippocampal development is protracted and regionally heterogenous, making investigation of hippocampal subfield volume changes important for understanding the development of the hippocampus and related memory abilities. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the relationship between hippocampal subfield volume, age, and relational memory task performance in a group of healthy periadolescent children aged 8 - 13 years (N=120). Data was collected as part of the NIA-funded Polygenic Risk for Alzheimer’s disease in Nebraska Kids (PRANK) Study (R01 AG064247). Participants underwent an MRI study to assess brain structure and completed the All Manner of Relations task. This published task assesses memory for novel visual stimuli as well as their spatial, sequential, and associative relations with other stimuli. Meanwhile, Automatic Segmentation of Hippocampal Subfields software was utilized to segment the hippocampus into the CA1, CA2-3, dentate gyrus, and subiculum. A statistically significant correlation was observed between CA1 volume and performance on the associative relations condition of the task, r(117) = .20, p = .03, such that greater volume was associated with more accurate memory. The item, spatial, sequential, and associative relations task performance were significantly associated with age, such that older children consistently performed better on the task relative to younger children. Characterizing the relationship between hippocampal subfield differences and memory may lead to insights on healthy brain development and memory function across the lifespan in health and disease.

Topic Area: LONG-TERM MEMORY: Development & aging