Widespread white matter degeneration preceding the onset of dementia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Brain atrophy in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) introduces partial volume effects, limiting the sensitivity of diffusion tensor imaging to white matter microstructural degeneration. Appropriate correction isolates microstructural effects in MCI that might be precursors of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods

Forty-eight participants (18 MCI, 15 AD, and 15 healthy controls) had magnetic resonance imaging scans and clinical evaluations at baseline and follow-up after 36 months. Ten MCI subjects were diagnosed with AD at follow-up and eight remained MCI. Free-water (FW) corrected measures on the white matter skeleton were compared between groups.

Results

FW corrected radial diffusivity, but not uncorrected radial diffusivity, was increased across t

SUBMITTER: Maier-Hein KH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4295016 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature