# Brain MRI volumetrics

Brain MRI volumetrics uses structural MRI to measure the size of specific brain regions. The usual targets are the hippocampus, the fluid-filled ventricles, and total gray and white matter. It also measures cortical thickness across mapped regions. Automated software (like FreeSurfer, or the GPU-accelerated FastSurfer) processes the T1-weighted images. It then scores how far you deviate from normal. Bigger ventricles and a thinner hippocampus or cortex are established markers of accelerated brain aging. And atrophy speeds up sharply after 60. Big population studies like UK Biobank have charted how regional volume drops with age, lifestyle, and disease risk. That enables a 'brain age gap': the difference between your estimated brain age and your real age. It is a possible marker of neurodegenerative risk and cognitive resilience.

## Sources

- Driscoll I, Davatzikos C, An Y, Wu X, Shen D, Kraut M, Resnick SM. (2009). Longitudinal pattern of regional brain volume change differentiates normal aging from MCI. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0b013e3181a82634
- Gaser C, Franke K, Klöppel S, Koutsouleris N, Sauer H. (2013). BrainAGE in mild cognitive impaired patients: predicting the conversion to Alzheimer's disease. PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0067346

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_Canonical: https://longevity-switzerland.com/en/glossary/brain-mri-volumetrics · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-06-22_