A primary study of diffusion tensor imaging-based histogram analysis in vascular cognitive impairment with no dementia.
OBJECTIVE
This study performed diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) histogram analysis and voxel-based analysis (VBA) to detect white matter (WM) damage in patients with vascular cognitive impairment with no dementia (VCIND) and to determine correlations between DTI histogram-derived measures and cognitive dysfunction in these patients.


METHODS
Among patients with subcortical ischemic vascular disease, 18 patients with VCIND were selected along with 18 age- and sex-matched cognitive-normal subjects. Both groups underwent magnetic resonance and DTI scans, and fractional anisotropy (FA) changes in VBA between the two groups were assessed. Further, mean diffusivity (MD) and FA histograms of WM and normal-appearing WM (NAWM) in each subject were evaluated.


RESULTS
Compared to control, the VCIND group showed lower FA values throughout the brain. FA and MD histogram patterns of WM and NAWM were significantly different between the groups. Significant differences were found in all DTI histogram-derived measures, except in the mean FA peak height of WM and mean MD peak location of NAWM. Neuropsychological results (z-scores) were found to be significantly correlated with mean FA peak location, average MD, mean MD peak location of WM, and mean FA peak height, average MD, mean MD peak location of NAWM.


CONCLUSIONS
Results of VBA and diffusion tensor imaging-based histogram analysis suggest that VCIND patients have more severe damage in WM and NAWM than the control. Thus, the severity of damage in WM and NAWM may be related with cognitive dysfunction in VCIND patients, and DTI histogram analysis can help in further understanding VCIND.
Department of Radiology, Ren Ji Hospital, Jiao Tong University Medical School, Shanghai 200127, PR China.
Yan
Y
Zhou
Qun-Xu
Lin-di
LD
Qin
Li-jun
LJ
Qian
Wei-wen
WW
Cao
Jian-rong
JR
Xu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016880:Anisotropy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000473:pathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000473:pathology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000473:pathology*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D020521:Stroke / Q000473:pathology