White matter microstructure and apathy level in amnestic mild cognitive impairment.
In this study, we assess white matter microstructural deficit correlates of apathy level in 20 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment by means of diffusion tensor imaging. Mean diffusivity correlated positively with apathy level in the right temporal portion of the uncinate, middle longitudinal and inferior longitudinal fasciculi and in the parathalamic white matter, the fornix and the posterior cingulum of the right hemisphere. Fractional anisotropy results confirmed evidence of disconnection associated with apathy in all white matter areas except the middle longitudinal fasciculus. These results support the view that alterations in the neural mechanisms underlying apathy level occur in the early phase of degenerative dementias.
Cacciari
Claudia
C
IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
Moraschi
Marta
M
Di Paola
Margherita
M
Cherubini
Andrea
A
Orfei
Maria Donata
MD
Giove
Federico
F
Maraviglia
Bruno
B
Caltagirone
Carlo
C
Spalletta
Gianfranco
G
D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000209:etiology*; D000368:Aged; D000647:Amnesia / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D016880:Anisotropy; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests