Association between white matter hyperintensities and executive decline in mild cognitive impairment is network dependent.
White matter hyperintensities (WMH) in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) have been associated with impaired executive functioning, although contradictory findings have been reported. The aim of this study was to examine whether WMH location influenced the relation between WMH and executive functioning in MCI participants (55-90 years) in the European multicenter memory-clinic-based DESCRIPA study, who underwent MRI scanning at baseline (N = 337). Linear mixed model analysis was performed to test the association between WMH damage in three networks (frontal-parietal, frontal-subcortical and frontal-parietal-subcortical network) and change in executive functioning over a 3-year period. WMH in the frontal-parietal and in the frontal-parietal-subcortical network were associated with decline in executive functioning. However, the frontal-subcortical network was not associated with change in executive functioning. Our results suggest that parietal WMH are a significant contributor to executive decline in MCI and that investigation of WMH in the cerebral networks supporting cognitive functions provide a new way to differentiate stable from cognitive declining MCI individuals.
Jacobs
Heidi I L
HI
Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centre, Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands. h.jacobs@np.unimaas.nl
Visser
Pieter Jelle
PJ
Van Boxtel
Martin P J
MP
Frisoni
Giovanni B
GB
Tsolaki
Magda
M
Papapostolou
Panagiota
P
Nobili
Flavio
F
Wahlund
Lars-Olof
LO
Minthon
Lennart
L
Frölich
Lutz
L
Hampel
Harald
H
Soininen
Hilkka
H
van de Pol
Laura
L
Scheltens
Philip
P
Tan
Frans E S
FE
Jolles
Jelle
J
Verhey
Frans R J
FR
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors