Effects of amyloid and small vessel disease on white matter network disruption.
There is growing evidence that the human brain is a large scale complex network. The structural network is reported to be disrupted in cognitively impaired patients. However, there have been few studies evaluating the effects of amyloid and small vessel disease (SVD) markers, the common causes of cognitive impairment, on structural networks. Thus, we evaluated the association between amyloid and SVD burdens and structural networks using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Furthermore, we determined if network parameters predict cognitive impairments. Graph theoretical analysis was applied to DTI data from 232 cognitively impaired patients with varying degrees of amyloid and SVD burdens. All patients underwent Pittsburgh compound-B (PiB) PET to detect amyloid burden, MRI to detect markers of SVD, including the volume of white matter hyperintensities and the number of lacunes, and detailed neuropsychological testing. The whole-brain network was assessed by network parameters of integration (shortest path length, global efficiency) and segregation (clustering coefficient, transitivity, modularity). PiB retention ratio was not associated with any white matter network parameters. Greater white matter hyperintensity volumes or lacunae numbers were significantly associated with decreased network integration (increased shortest path length, decreased global efficiency) and increased network segregation (increased clustering coefficient, increased transitivity, increased modularity). Decreased network integration or increased network segregation were associated with poor performances in attention, language, visuospatial, memory, and frontal-executive functions. Our results suggest that SVD alters white matter network integration and segregation, which further predicts cognitive dysfunction.
Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Hee Jin
HJ
Kim
Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Kiho
K
Im
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.
Hunki
H
Kwon
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.
Jong Min
JM
Lee
Department of Neurology, Yonser University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Byoung Seok
BS
Ye
Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Yeo Jin
YJ
Kim
Department of Neurology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Hanna
H
Cho
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Yearn Seong
YS
Choe
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Kyung Han
KH
Lee
Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Sung Tae
ST
Kim
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Jae Seung
JS
Kim
Department of Neurology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Jae Hong
JH
Lee
Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Duk L
DL
Na
Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Sang Won
SW
Seo
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000682:Amyloid / Q000378:metabolism*; D000814:Aniline Compounds; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D013844:Thiazoles; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
C475519:2-(4'-(methylamino)phenyl)-6-hydroxybenzothiazole; D000682:Amyloid; D000814:Aniline Compounds; D013844:Thiazoles
Amyloid; diffusion tensor imaging; graph theory; small vessel disease; white matter network