Age-related Changes in Ventricular System of Brain in Normal Individuals Assessed by Computed Tomography Scans

Abstract

Background: Normal ageing and dementia cause the increase of ventricular size in brain, and it is necessary to ascertain ageing related changes in ventricle size in normal Indo-Dravidian people of southern Odisha, India.
Objective: To find out age-related changes in ventricular system of brain in normal individuals from younger to elderly groups in both sexes.
Methods: Sixty normal females and males within ages, 15 to 70 years were examined by computed tomography (CT) scan of brains. Measurements of lateral, third and fourth ventricles were considered by arranging the subjects into 3 age-groups, 15 to 30, 31 to 50 and 51 to 70 years. After taking due measurements, Schaltenbrand index was calculated.
Results: Size of all ventricles had insignificant increase or no change from the youngest (15 to 30 years) to the middle age-group (31 to 50 years), but the width of third ventricle was found to increase in most males and females in the elderly group. Males had higher values of enlargement than females in all ventricles. Measurements of AP length of frontal horn and frontal horn with body remained almost constant in the youngest age-group, which increased with ageing. Schaltenbrand index values decreased steadily from younger to higher age-groups.
Conclusion: Sizes of all three ventricles were more in elderly individuals. In both higher age-groups, males had more expansion of ventricular system than females. Increase in ventricular size was more evident in the lateral ventricle. Changes in ventricular size did not show any effective change in cranial diameters.

Keywords: Third ventricle, fourth ventricle, lateral ventricle, computed tomography, Schaltenbrand index