MR elastography frequency-dependent and independent parameters demonstrate accelerated decrease of brain stiffness in elder subjects.

Objectives: To analyze the mechanical properties in different regions of the brain in healthy adults in a wide age range: 26 to 76 years old.

Methods: We used a multifrequency magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) protocol to analyze the effect of age on frequency-dependent (storage and loss moduli, G' and G″, respectively) and frequency-independent parameters (μ, μ, and η, as determined by a standard linear solid model) of the cerebral parenchyma, cortical gray matter (GM), white matter (WM), and subcortical GM structures of 46 healthy male and female subjects. The multifrequency behavior of the brain and frequency-independent parameters were analyzed across different age groups.