Stroke risk modifies regional white matter differences in mild cognitive impairment.
Forty non-demented older adults who were divided into two groups on the basis of their cognitive status (MCI: n=20; normal control: n=20) underwent diffusion tensor imaging, and estimates of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were obtained for the genu and splenium of the corpus callosum. Results demonstrated the following: (1) group comparisons revealed that splenium FA was significantly lower in MCI participants than in NC participants, despite no differences in gross morphometry or hippocampal volumes; (2) in the overall sample, higher stroke risk was associated with lower white matter integrity, particularly in the genu; (3) increased stroke risk was more strongly associated with poorer splenium FA in those with MCI than in normal elderly; (4) splenium FA significantly predicted performance on verbal memory (adjusting for the effects of age, education, and whole brain volume). Findings demonstrate a relationship between increased vascular burden and white matter changes, and they support the possibility that posterior white matter pathology may contribute to the development of MCI-related cognitive changes.
Delano-Wood
Lisa
L
Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, CA, USA.
Bondi
Mark W
MW
Jak
Amy J
AJ
Horne
Nikki R
NR
Schweinsburg
Brian C
BC
Frank
Lawrence R
LR
Wierenga
Christina E
CE
Delis
Dean C
DC
Theilmann
Rebecca J
RJ
Salmon
David P
DP
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016880:Anisotropy; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000473:pathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000473:pathology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D056784:Leukoencephalopathies / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000473:pathology*