Byeon H. Structural brain correlates of neuropsychomotor performance in older adults with early cognitive decline. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(10): 109273 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i10.109273]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Haewon Byeon, PhD, Associate Professor, Director, Worker's Care and Digital Health Lab, Department of Future Technology, Korea University of Technology and Education, 1600 Chungjeol-ro, Cheonan 31253, South Korea. bhwpuma@naver.com
Research Domain of This Article
Psychiatry
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Psychiatry. Oct 19, 2025; 15(10): 109273 Published online Oct 19, 2025. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i10.109273
Structural brain correlates of neuropsychomotor performance in older adults with early cognitive decline
Haewon Byeon
Haewon Byeon, Worker's Care and Digital Health Lab, Department of Future Technology, Korea University of Technology and Education, Cheonan 31253, South Korea
Author contributions: Byeon H contributed to this paper; involved in data interpretation; developed methodology; writing the article.
Supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Education, No. NRF- RS-2023-00237287; and New Professor Research Program of KOREATECH in 2025.
Conflict-of-interest statement: No benefits in any form have been received or will be received from a commercial party related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Haewon Byeon, PhD, Associate Professor, Director, Worker's Care and Digital Health Lab, Department of Future Technology, Korea University of Technology and Education, 1600 Chungjeol-ro, Cheonan 31253, South Korea. bhwpuma@naver.com
Received: May 7, 2025 Revised: May 26, 2025 Accepted: August 1, 2025 Published online: October 19, 2025 Processing time: 143 Days and 4.7 Hours
Abstract
This letter critically evaluates the study by Yue et al investigating the association between gray matter volume (GMV) and cognitive/motor function in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). Yue et al utilized voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and comprehensive functional assessments, finding significant GMV reductions in aMCI patients compared to controls, notably in temporal, parietal, occipital, and frontal regions. These structural changes correlated significantly with lower cognitive scores (mini-metal state examination, cambridge cognitive examination-Chinese version, activities of daily living) and impaired gait parameters (timed up and go test, dual task timed up and go test, speed). While strengths include the use of VBM and combined cognitive-motor assessment, the study's cross-sectional design precludes causal inferences. The reliance on laboratory-based gait analysis may also limit ecological validity. The findings support the potential role of GMV as an aMCI biomarker and highlight the concept of shared neural substrates for cognitive and motor control. Future longitudinal, multi-modal imaging, and mechanistic studies are crucial to confirm causality, understand underlying pathways, and guide the development of integrated interventions for aMCI.
Core Tip: Yue et al's study links reduced gray matter volume (GMV) in specific brain regions (temporal, frontal, occipital, parietal) to both cognitive decline and impaired motor function (gait disturbances) in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). Utilizing voxel-based morphometry, the study found correlations between regional atrophy and performance on tests like mini-metal state examination, Cambridge cognitive examination-Chinese version, timed up and go test, and walking speed. This reinforces GMV's potential as an aMCI biomarker and supports the idea of shared brain networks for cognition and motor control. However, the cross-sectional design prevents establishing causality. Future longitudinal research is essential to clarify the temporal relationship between brain atrophy and functional decline in aMCI.
