title: Vitamin D and white matter abnormalities in older adults: a quantitative volumetric analysis of brain MRI.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D insufficiency is associated with brain changes. Our objective was to investigate whether vitamin D insufficiency was associated with a greater volume in mm(3) of white matter abnormalities (WMA) in older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-five Caucasian older community-dwellers (mean, 70.9 ± 5.0 years; 48%female) received a blood test and brain MRI. The volumes of total white matter (WM) and WMA were measured from T1-weighted MR images using automatic, accurate and reproducible segmentation of the brain provided by FreeSurfer. Vitamin D insufficiency was defined a priori as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D<50 nmol/L. Age, gender, body mass index, mean arterial pressure, use of anti-vascular drugs, education level, Mini-Mental State Examination score, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living score, serum calcium concentration, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and season of evaluation were used as potential confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants with vitamin D insufficiency (n = 29) had a greater volume of WMA than the others (4233 ± 4359 mm(3) versus 2658 ± 1544 mm(3), P = 0.028), even after normalization for WM volume (P = 0.031). Vitamin D insufficiency was cross-sectionally associated with an increased ratio of WMA volume to WM volume (fully adjusted β = 0.35, P = 0.047).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin D insufficiency was associated with increased WMA volume in the studied sample of older adults. These findings may provide insight into the pathophysiology of cognitive and mobility declines in older adults with vitamin D insufficiency.
authors: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Angers University Hospital; UPRES EA4638, University of Angers, UNAM, France; Research Center on Autonomy and Longevity (CeRAL), Angers, France; Robarts Research Institute, Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, the University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada. Electronic address: CeAnnweiler@chu-angers.fr.
authors: Cédric
authors: C
authors: Annweiler
authors: Robarts Research Institute, Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, the University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Bartha
authors: Unit of Reproductive Endocrinology, First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors: Spyridon N
authors: SN
authors: Karras
authors: Research Center on Autonomy and Longevity (CeRAL), Angers, France.
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Gautier
authors: Service de Physiologie Clinique et de l'Exercice, CHU Saint-Etienne; EA 4607 "SNA EPIS" Faculté de Médecine Jacques Lisfranc UJM; PRES Université de Lyon 42023, France.
authors: Frédéric
authors: F
authors: Roche
authors: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Angers University Hospital; UPRES EA4638, University of Angers, UNAM, France; Research Center on Autonomy and Longevity (CeRAL), Angers, France; Biomathics, Paris, France.
authors: Olivier
authors: O
authors: Beauchet
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000503:physiopathology*; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D
keywords: Brain; Leukoaraiosis; Magnetic resonance imaging; Older adults; Vitamin D