title: Lower Magnetization Transfer Ratio in the Forceps Minor Is Associated with Poorer Gait Velocity in Older Adults.
abstract: Gait disturbances in the elderly are disabling and a major public health issue but are poorly understood. In this multimodal MR imaging study, we used 2 voxel-based analysis methods to assess the voxelwise relationship of magnetization transfer ratio and white matter hyperintensity location with gait velocity in older adults.
  
  
  
  We assessed 230 community-dwelling participants of the Austrian Stroke Prevention Family Study. Every participant underwent 3T MR imaging, including magnetization transfer imaging. Voxel-based magnetization transfer ratio-symptom mapping correlated the white matter magnetization transfer ratio of each voxel with gait velocity. To assess a possible relationship between white matter hyperintensity location and gait velocity, we applied voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping.
  
  
  
  We found a significant association between the magnetization transfer ratio within the forceps minor and gait velocity (β = 0.134; 95% CI, 0.011-0.258;P= .033), independent of demographics, general physical performance, vascular risk factors, and brain volume. White matter hyperintensities did not significantly change this association.
  
  
  
  Our study provides new evidence for the importance of magnetization transfer ratio changes in gait disturbances at an older age, particularly in the forceps minor. The histopathologic basis of these findings is yet to be determined.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (S.S., L.P., E.H., D.P., F.F., S.R., R.S.).
authors.forename: S
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2381-5339
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seiler
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (S.S., L.P., E.H., D.P., F.F., S.R., R.S.).
authors.forename: L
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4390-9703
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pirpamer
authors.affiliation: Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (B.G., M.D.), Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2842-7105
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gesierich
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (S.S., L.P., E.H., D.P., F.F., S.R., R.S.).|Institute of Medical Informatics, Statistics and Documentation (E.H.), Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: E
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2964-0987
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hofer
authors.affiliation: Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (B.G., M.D.), Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2302-3136
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Duering
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (S.S., L.P., E.H., D.P., F.F., S.R., R.S.).
authors.forename: D
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3138-5225
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pinter
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology (E.J., H.C.), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR-740, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Lariboisière, Paris, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7797-2236
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jouvent
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (S.S., L.P., E.H., D.P., F.F., S.R., R.S.).
authors.forename: F
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8155-7799
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fazekas
authors.affiliation: Neurospin (J.-F.M.), Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives Saclay, Gif/Yvette, France.
authors.forename: J-F
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1612-461X
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Mangin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology (E.J., H.C.), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR-740, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Lariboisière, Paris, France.
authors.forename: H
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8436-6074
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chabriat
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (S.S., L.P., E.H., D.P., F.F., S.R., R.S.).
authors.forename: S
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5559-768X
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ropele
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (S.S., L.P., E.H., D.P., F.F., S.R., R.S.) reinhold.schmidt@medunigraz.at.
authors.forename: R
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6406-7584
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged