Table 1.

Fornix metrics across the lifespan.

Authors	Subjects [age, M(male), F(female)]	Imaging Parameters	Image Analysis	Fornix-related Findings
Rados et al., 2006	16 post-mortem fetal brains (10–30 weeks gestation)	T1 and T2 weighted MRI Nissl-staining	Visualization	Fornix at 10 weeks of gestational age.
Huang et al., 2006	3 post-mortem fetal brains (19–20 weeks gestation)	4.7 T (postmortem fœtus), 7 directions	Tractography, 4 tracts, 7 ROIs	Fornix such as cingulum already prominent during fetal stage, as early as 19 weeks of gestational age.
	3 female newborns	1.5 T (living subjects), 30 directions, 1.88 mm slice (newborns) and 2.3 mm slice (children)
	3 children (5–6 years, 2M, 1F)
Huang et al., 2009	30 post-mortem fetal brains (13–22 weeks gestation); 3 brains per week	11.7 T (13–16 weeks), 200–400 μm slice	4 tracts and 7 ROIs	Fornix is the major tract at 13 weeks of gestational age although it is a small tract in adults
		4.7 T (≥17 weeks), 300–600 μm slice, 6 directions
Dubois et al., 2008	23 term born infants [10.3 ± 3.8 (3.9–18.4) maturational age; 12M, 11F]	1.5 T, 14–30 directions, 2.5 mm slice	Tractography (12 ROIs)	↑FA during first week of infancy
				↓MD and RD during first week of infancy
Hermoye et al., 2006	30 children [16 ± 16 months (0–4.5 years), 17M, 13F]	1.5 T, 32 directions, 1.9 mm slice (newborns) and 2.3 mm slice (children)	12 ROIs	Fornix present at birth and prominent compared to other brain structures
Douet et al., 2014	972 children [12.03 ± 3.6 (3–20) years, 509 boys, 463 girls]	3 T scanners (n = 10), 30 directions, 2.5 mm slice	5 ROIs	↑FA with age (max at 14.8 years) then plateau
				↑volume with age (max at 12.6 years) then decrease slightly
				↑volume α ↑episodic memory
				↑FA and ↓volume α ↓episodic memory in children with NRG1-TT-risk alleles for schizophrenia and psychosis
Simmonds et al., 2014	128 young adults [14.9 ± 4.2 (8–29) years, 61M, 67F]	3 T, 6 directions, 1.56 mm slice	42 ROIs	↔FA for the body portion, ↑AxD and RD (+1–2% per year) after age 20 years ↑FA with age (13.1–16.4 years, +1–2% per year) for the crescent portion
Rudebeck et al., 2009	25 Healthy Controls [25.3 ± 2.9 (22–31) years, 14M, 9F]	3 T, Diffusion-weighted imaging	TBSS, VBM, 1 ROI	↑FA α ↑episodic memory (recollection) Spatial recognition FA
Lebel et al., 2012	403 [31.3 ± 21.5 (5–83) years, 195M, 208F]	1.5 T, 6 directions, 3 mm slice	Tractography	Inverted U-shaped curve of FA with age (max at 19.5 years old); U-shaped curve for diffusivities (MD, RD, AxD) with age (min ~17.5 years old); Inverted U-shaped curve for volume (max 21.3 years)
Sala et al., 2012	84 Healthy controls [44 (13–70) years, 36M, 48F]	1.5 T, 12 directions, 4 mm slice	Automated atlas-based ROIs	Inverted U-shaped curve of FA with age; U-shaped curve for MD
				↑AxD and RD and ↓volume with age
Giorgio et al., 2010	66 adults [31M, 35F]- 35 young [23–40 years, 16M, 21F], 19 middle-age [41–60 years, 9M, 10F], 10 older [60–82 years, 6M, 4F]-	1.5 T, 60 directions, 2.5 mm	TBSS, VBM	↓volume in older adults compared to young and mid-adults
Michielse et al., 2010	69 adults [46.9 ± 17.8 (22–84) years, 17M, 52F]	1.5 T, 6 directions, 2 mm slice	9 ROIs	Linear ↓volume and FA with age
			Tractography (crus only)	Linear ↓AxD and MD with age and RD ↔
				No asymmetry with age
Lee et al., 2009	31 adults [36 (19–62) years, 15M, 16F]	3 T, 32 directions, 2.5 mm slice	14 Manual ROIs	No age-related changes in FA and ADC.
				No sex-difference
Stadlbauer et al., 2008	38 adults [49.6 ± 20.1 (18–88) years, 18M, 20F]	3 T, 6 directions, 1.9 mm slice	Tractography	↓FA with age (−2.1% per decade),
				↓number of tract
				↑MD (4.2% per decade)
Pagani et al., 2008	84 adults [44 (13–70) years, 36M, 48F]	1.5 T, 12 directions, 4 mm slice	VBM	↓volume with age
			11 clusters
Zahr et al., 2009	24 adults- 12 young [25.5 ± 4.34 (29–33) years, 12 older adults [77.67 ± 4.94 (67–84) years-	3 T, 15 directions, 2.5 mm slice	Tractography	↓FA and ↑ADC, RD and AxD in older adults compared to young. ↑FA and ↓ADC correlate with ↑working memory, motor, problem solving scores
			8 ROIs
Sullivan et al., 2010	120 adults [48.3 ± 14.4 (20–81) years, 55M, 65F]	1.5 T, 6 directions, 4 mm slice	Tractography	↑ADC, RD, and AxD with age
				No changes in FA
Burzynska et al., 2010	143 adults—80 young [25.7 ± 3.2 (20–32) years, 45M, 35F], 63 older [64.8 ± 2.9 (60–71) years, 34M, 29F]-	1.5 T, 12 directions, 2.5 mm slice	TBSS, VBM (body/colum and crus)	Body/column: ↓FA and ↑ diffusivities (MD, RD, and AxD) in older adults compared to young
				Crus: ↓FA and ↑RD and AxD in older adults compared to young
Jang et al., 2011	60 adults [49.2 (20–78) years, 30M, 30F]- young adults: 20–39 years, mid-adults: 40–59 years, older adults: 60–79 years-	1.5 T, 32 directions, 2.3 mm slice	Tractography	↓FA and ↑ADC with age
			3 ROIs (body, column and crus = 3parts)	↓number of tract
Sasson et al., 2013	52 adults [51 (25–82 years), 20M, 32F]	3 T, 19 directions, 2.5 mm slice	Tractography, VBA	↓FA and ↑AxD with age
Pelletier et al., 2013	129 Healthy controls [73.9 years, ≥65 years, 68M, 61F]	3 T, 21 directions, 2.5 mm slice	TBSS and 2 ROIs	↓FA with age; FA as a predictor of age
				↑FA α ↑ hippocampal volume
Vernooij et al., 2008	832 Healthy controls [73.9 ± 4.8 years, ≥55 years, 413M, 419F]	1.5 T, 25 directions, 2.5 mm slice	TBSS	↓ Volume, ↓FA, ↑AxD and RD with age
Metzler-Baddeley et al., 2011	46 adults [67.9 ± 8.6 (53–93) years, 21M, 25F]	3 T, 30 directions, 2.4 mm slice	Tractography	↓FA with age
			4 ROIs	↑FA α ↑episodic memory
Fletcher et al., 2013	102 [73 ± 6.4 years, 20 converters to MCI, and 82 non converters]	1.5 T, 6 directions, 1.5 mm slice	1 manual ROI (body only)	↓FA and volume with age
Yasmin et al., 2009	100 adults [58 ± 11 (40–84) years, 50M, 50F]	3 T, 13 directions, 2.5 mm slice	8 ROIs	↓FA and ↑MD with age

α, correlate; T, Tesla; ROI, Region of Interest; FA, fractional anisotropy; MD, Mean Diffusivity; AxD, Axial diffusivity; RD, Radial diffusivity.

VBM, voxel based morphometry; TBSS, Tract based spatial statistics.