The Tuned Cortex: Convergent Expertise-Related Structural and Functional Remodeling across the Adult Lifespan.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Case-control cross-sectional observational neuroimaging study
PubMed 41730682 · doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1307-25.2026
What was done
A cross-sectional study evaluated 29 bird identification experts (aged 24–75 years, 15 female) and 29 matched novices (aged 22–79 years, 14 female). Cortical microstructure was assessed via diffusion-weighted MRI to measure mean diffusivity (MD). Participants performed a delayed matching task identifying local and nonlocal bird species during functional MRI to evaluate behavioral accuracy and task-related BOLD timecourses.
What was found
Compared to novices, experts showed lower MD in frontoparietal areas (superior frontal gyrus, intraparietal sulcus) and posterior cortical regions (angular gyrus, precuneus, lateral occipital cortex, fusiform gyrus), accompanied by a trend for attenuated age-related increases in MD. Lower MD in these regions predicted higher identification accuracy among experts. The same frontoparietal regions displayed greater BOLD activation during judgments of nonlocal compared to local species in experts, and this differential activation magnitude tracked identification performance. The abstract does not provide exact effect sizes, test statistics, or p-values.
Why it matters
The findings illustrate convergent microstructural remodeling and functional recruitment in cortical networks underlying real-world perceptual expertise across adulthood.
Limits
The study is cross-sectional and cannot establish whether cortical differences are directly caused by practice or reflect pre-existing traits. The sample size is modest (29 per group), and no exact numerical metrics, confidence intervals, or statistical values are reported in the abstract. Longitudinal decline was inferred from cross-sectional age trends rather than prospective follow-up.
Cited by
- supports Neuroplasticity continues throughout the entire human lifespan.