Quantitative measurement to evaluate morphological changes of the corpus callosum in patients with subcortical ischemic vascular dementia.
BACKGROUND
Subcortical ischemic vascular dementia (SIVD) is a subtype of dementia associated with abnormalities in the subcortical white matter regions. Recent imaging techniques can be used to detect such abnormalities in vivo.


OBJECTIVE
To examine morphological changes of the corpus callosum in patients with SIVD by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).


METHODS
MRI was performed to explore changes of cerebral white matter, especially corpus callosum. Brain matter diffusivity was examined with DTI by measuring the fractional anisotropy (FA). Results of 30 patients diagnosed with SIVD and 30 healthy subjects were analyzed and compared.


RESULTS
The thicknesses of the genu, the anterior third, middle, and posterior third of the body, and the splenium of the corpus callosum were smaller in SIVD patients compared to healthy controls (0.54 ± 0.08 vs. 0.68 ± 0.09 cm, P = 0.0011; 0.27 ± 0.06 vs. 0.38 ± 0.07 cm, P = 0.002; 0.28 ± 0.05 vs. 0.38 ± 0.08 cm, P = 0.009; 0.18 ± 0.04 vs. 0.26 ± 0.06 cm, P = 0.013; 0.54 ± 0.07 vs. 0.72 ± 0.09 cm, P = 0.003, respectively). The FA values of the genu and splenium of the corpus callosum in patients with SIVD were decreased compared to healthy controls (0.664 ± 0.042 vs. 0.778 ± 0.041, P < 0.001; 0.691 ± 0.038 vs. 0.786 ± 0.039, P = 0.001, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with SIVD exhibit corpus callosum atrophy and morphological changes, and these characteristics may be useful for diagnosis.
Department of Radiology, The Xi'an Municipal Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China.
Xiao-Ping
XP
Wu
Department of Radiology, The Xi'an Municipal Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China.
Yan-Jun
YJ
Gao
Department of Radiology, The Xi'an Municipal Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China yangjle@163.com.
Jun-Le
JL
Yang
Department of Radiology, The Xi'an Municipal Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China.
Min
M
Xu
Department of Radiology, The Xi'an Municipal Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China.
Dong-Hai
DH
Sun
D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000473:pathology*; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000473:pathology*; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D066127:White Matter / Q000473:pathology*
Subcortical ischemic vascular dementia (SIVD); corpus callosum; diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)