Plate Nº 22 · recorded September 30, 2026
Neuroscience & MindReported finding
Spine Bone Density on Chest CT Scans Linked to Memory Decline
AI-read chest CT scans reveal that lower vertebral bone density tracks with white matter damage and faster cognitive decline in 715 older adults, a Radiology study reports.
By Elena Vasquez3 min read692 words
In brief
- Researchers measured vertebral bone density in 715 older adults (median age 69) using deep learning applied to routine chest CT scans.
- Lower bone density was associated with faster white matter damage in specific brain regions and faster decline on cognitive tests.
- The association between bone density and total white matter integrity did not survive strict statistical correction, so results should be treated as preliminary.
Lower bone mineral density in the vertebrae of the chest appears to go hand in hand with faster cognitive decline and changes in the brain's white matter among older adults, according to a study published online in the journal Radiology.
The findings come from an analysis of 715 adults with a median age of 69 years, all of them free of clinically recognized cardiovascular disease and enrolled in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, a long-running U.S. research project.
What the researchers did
Sara Momtazmanesh, M.D., of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and her colleagues wanted to know whether bone density in the thoracic spine — the section of the backbone that sits in the chest — could predict changes in the brain over time.
Instead of ordering dedicated bone scans, the team used deep learning, a form of artificial intelligence, to measure vertebral bone mineral density (vBMD) from ordinary noncontrast chest CT scans. "Noncontrast" means no dye was injected, and CT stands for computed tomography, an imaging technique that produces detailed cross-sectional images of the body.
The researchers then tracked whether that bone measurement predicted three things: the integrity of the brain's white matter, the buildup of white matter hyperintensities, and performance on cognitive tests.
White matter consists of the nerve fibers that connect different brain regions. Its integrity can be gauged with a measure called fractional anisotropy, which reflects how well organized those fibers are; lower values signal damage. White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are bright patches seen on brain scans that indicate damage, often linked to small-vessel disease.
What they found
Participants who started the study with lower vertebral bone density showed faster deterioration across several brain and cognitive measures.
Lower baseline vBMD was associated with a faster decline in total white matter fractional anisotropy (405 participants; β = −0.036 standard deviations per year for every 0.1 g/cm³ drop in vBMD). However, the researchers urge caution here: this particular association did not survive a statistical adjustment called false discovery rate correction, a stringent method that guards against false positives when many comparisons are tested at once.
Other links held up as notable even so. Lower bone density was associated with faster fractional anisotropy decline in the anterior limb of the internal capsule, a bundle of nerve fibers connecting key brain regions (β = −0.048 SD/year). It was also tied to faster accumulation of white matter hyperintensities in the corpus callosum, the large fiber bridge joining the brain's two hemispheres (408 participants; β = 12.8%/year).
On the cognitive side, lower vBMD predicted faster decline in a global cognitive composite score (639 participants; β = −0.025 SD/year) and in the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument, a test used to detect cognitive impairment (675 participants; β = −0.320/year).
Diabetes appeared to make matters worse: it intensified the association between low bone density and white matter hyperintensity progression (β = 4.99%).
Why it matters
The study does not prove that thin bones cause cognitive decline. It shows an association, and other factors — aging, shared vascular risks, or general health status — could explain both findings at once. The number of participants varied across analyses, from 405 to 675, because not everyone completed every test, which is itself a limitation of longitudinal research.
Even with those caveats, the practical appeal is clear. Chest CT scans are already performed routinely for many reasons, and the bone measurement comes at no extra cost or radiation.
"Chest CT is done for lung cancer screening, calcium scoring, nodule follow-up, and many other indications," Momtazmanesh said in a statement. "These scans could provide an opportunistic measurement of bone density from the thoracic spine that is associated with a loss of cognitive function."
In other words, a scan ordered for one purpose might quietly reveal information about the spine — and, if these results are confirmed, flag people at higher risk of cognitive decline who could benefit from closer monitoring.
The study, titled "Deep Learning–derived Bone Mineral Density and Longitudinal White Matter Microstructure and Cognitive Decline: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis," appears in Radiology (2026), DOI: 10.1148/radiol.260656.
via Medical Xpress (Source)
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