Putamen nuclei were assessed in 36 normal volunteers using magnetic resonance imaging and a systematic sampling method. There was a significant decrease in the volume of the putamen nuclei with advancing age (r = -0.74, p less than 0.0001), and an associated decline in the volume of the caudate nuclei (r = 0.60, p less than 0.0001). The implications of these findings in age-associated motor abnormalities are discussed.