Background: Cortico-limbic affective processing regions undergo structural and functional changes with aging. However, there are no investigations into the relationships between measures of cortical thinning and affective functional reactivity in older adults. Methods: Two groups of Caucasian men (n = 10 each, aged 60 -- 85 years, and aged 20 -- 40 years) underwent structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging during which they completed affective and sensorimotor (control) tasks administered according to a blocked design. Results: Age groups were comparable in amygdalae response to negative affect. Older men were best distinguished from young by thinning of the gray matter in bilateral frontal, parietal and temporal lobes. Greater mean right amygdala activation was best predicted by a pattern of left orbito- and middle frontal cortical thickness/thinning in older men. Conclusion: Even in the absence of age differences in amygdalae activation, prefrontal structure alterations uniquely influence emotional amygdala response in healthy older adults.
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