Structural Connectivity Alterations Along the Alzheimer's Disease Continuum: Reproducibility Across Two Independent Samples and Correlation with Cerebrospinal Fluid Amyloid-β and Tau.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Gray matter changes associated with the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been thoroughly studied. However, alterations in white matter tracts have received less attention, particularly during early or preclinical stages of the disease.

Objective

To identify the structural connectivity changes across the AD continuum.

Methods

We performed probabilistic tractography in a total of 183 subjects on two independent samples that include control (n = 68) and preclinical AD individuals (n = 28), patients diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD (n = 44), and AD patients (n = 43). We compared the connectivity between groups, and with CSF Aβ42 and tau biomarkers.

Results

We observed disconnections in preclinical individuals, mainly l

SUBMITTER: Tucholka A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5798529 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature