title: White Matter Diffusion Abnormalities in Carotid Artery Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
abstract: Abnormalities in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), fractional anisotropy (FA), and mean diffusivity (MD) values can be used to assess microstructural damage to white matter tracts and could represent a quantitative marker of chronic ischemia and thereby potentially serve as a stroke risk factor or a measure of existing subclinical ischemic disease burden. We performed a systematic review and 3 separate meta-analyses to evaluate the association between unilateral carotid steno-occlusion and ipsilateral ADC, FA, or MD abnormality.
  
  
  
  A comprehensive literature search evaluating the association of carotid disease and quantitative white matter diffusion imaging was performed. The included studies examined patients for ADC, FA, and MD values ipsilateral and contralateral to the site of carotid artery disease. Three meta-analyses using standardized mean differences with assessment of study heterogeneity were performed.
  
  
  
  Of the 2,920 manuscripts screened, 6 met eligibility for meta-analysis. Of the included manuscripts, 2 studied ADC values, 6 studied FA values, and 2 studied MD values. Our 3 meta-analyses showed standardized mean difference for ADC, FA, and MD values between cerebral hemispheres ipsilateral and contralateral to carotid artery disease site as 1.13 (95% CI: .79-1.47, P < .001), -.42 (95% CI: -.62 to -.21, P < .001), and .23 (95% CI: -.32 to -.77, P = .41), respectively. Measures of heterogeneity showed mild heterogeneity in the 3 meta-analyses.
  
  
  
  Carotid artery disease is associated with significant ADC and FA value changes, suggesting that carotid disease is associated with quantifiable white matter microstructural damage.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Radiology, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Hediyeh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baradaran
authors.affiliation: Departments of Radiology, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Edward E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Mtui
authors.affiliation: Samuel J. Wood Library & C.V. Starr Biomedical Information Center, New York, NY.|Healthcare Policy and Research, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Joshua E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.affiliation: Samuel J. Wood Library & C.V. Starr Biomedical Information Center, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.affiliation: Healthcare Policy and Research, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dunning
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Randolph S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.affiliation: Departments of Radiology, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY.|Healthcare Policy and Research, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Pina C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Sanelli
authors.affiliation: Departments of Radiology, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY.|Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D016880:Anisotropy; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Carotid stenosis; diffusion imaging; diffusion tensor imaging; white matter disease