title: Characterizing white matter health and organization in atherosclerotic vascular disease: a diffusion tensor imaging study.
abstract: Atherosclerotic vascular disease (AVD) is endemic to the developed world, with known negative outcomes for cognition and brain health. The effects of AVD on the white matter fibers of the brain have not yet been studied using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). This study examined differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) between AVD and healthy comparison (HC) participants, and described the regional patterns of FA in each group. AVD participants were hypothesized to have lower FA than HC participants, indicating abnormalities in white matter health or organization. 1.5 T diffusion tensor imaging was performed in 35 AVD and 22 HC participants. Mean FA measures were calculated for the white matter of the whole brain, as well for individual lobes. Globally and in every brain region measured except the temporal lobes, there were significant effects of group where AVD participants had lower FA values than their HC counterparts. Group differences in FA remained significant when controlled for white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume, suggesting that FA detects white matter abnormality above and beyond what is measurable using the older WMH technique. These findings suggest a likely neural substrate underlying the changes in cognition and mood reported in atherosclerotic vascular disease patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States.
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rowe Bijanki
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arndt
authors.forename: Vincent A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Magnotta
authors.forename: Peg
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nopoulos
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paradiso
authors.forename: Joy T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Hans J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Moser
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D016880:Anisotropy; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D049292:Leukoaraiosis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Atherosclerosis; Diffusion-weighted imaging; Leukoaraiosis; MRI; White matter disease