title: Tract-specific white matter degeneration in aging: the Rotterdam Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Loss of brain white matter microstructure is presumed to be an early sign of neurodegenerative disease. Yet, little is known on microstructural changes of various white matter tracts with normal aging.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 4532 nondemented elderly persons, we studied age-related changes in tract-specific diffusion characteristics for 25 tracts using probabilistic tractography. We studied how diffusion differs across tracts with aging, whether this depends on macrostructural white matter changes, and whether cardiovascular risk factors affect microstructure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With increasing age, loss of microstructural organization occurred in association, commissural and limbic tracts. White matter lesions and atrophy each partially explained this loss. We observed worse microstructure with severe hypertension, current smoking and diabetes mellitus, independent from age and macrostructural white matter changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Microstructure of white matter tracts changes with age, and may mark neurodegeneration more sensitively than white matter lesion load and atrophy. Cardiovascular factors relate to loss in microstructural organization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Medical informatics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marius
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Groot
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: M Arfan
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ikram
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Saloua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akoudad
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gabriel P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Krestin
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Aad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van der Lugt
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Medical informatics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Imaging Science and Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wiro J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Niessen
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: m.vernooij@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Meike W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Vernooij
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D016880:Anisotropy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000473:pathology; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000473:pathology; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000473:pathology; D066127:White Matter / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Aging; Atrophy; DTI; Microstructure; Tractography; WML; White matter