Regional tract-specific white matter hyperintensities are associated with patterns to aging-related brain atrophy via vascular risk factors, but also independently.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

We sought to investigate associations of regional white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) within white matter (WM) tracts with cardiovascular risk and brain aging-related atrophy throughout adulthood in the general population, leveraging state of the art pattern analysis methods.

Methods

We analyzed a large sample (n = 2367) from the Study of Health in Pomerania, Germany (range 20-90 years). WMHs were automatically segmented on T1-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance images, and WMH volumes were calculated in WM regions defined using the John Hopkins University WM tractography atlas. Regions with the highest average WMH volume were selected. We calculated a subject-specific index, Spatial Pattern of Alteration for Recognition of Brain

SUBMITTER: Habes M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5889709 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature