Stroke risk modifies regional white matter differences in mild cognitive impairment

Lisa Delano-Wood, Mark W. Bondi, Amy J. Jak, Nikki R. Horne, Brian C. Schweinsburg, Lawrence R. Frank, Christina E. Wierenga, Dean C. Delis, Rebecca J. Theilmann, David P. Salmon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

Forty non-demented older adults who were divided into two groups on the basis of their cognitive status (MCI: n=20; normal control: n=20) underwent diffusion tensor imaging, and estimates of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were obtained for the genu and splenium of the corpus callosum. Results demonstrated the following: (1) group comparisons revealed that splenium FA was significantly lower in MCI participants than in NC participants, despite no differences in gross morphometry or hippocampal volumes; (2) in the overall sample, higher stroke risk was associated with lower white matter integrity, particularly in the genu; (3) increased stroke risk was more strongly associated with poorer splenium FA in those with MCI than in normal elderly; (4) splenium FA significantly predicted performance on verbal memory (adjusting for the effects of age, education, and whole brain volume). Findings demonstrate a relationship between increased vascular burden and white matter changes, and they support the possibility that posterior white matter pathology may contribute to the development of MCI-related cognitive changes.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1721-1731
Number of pages11
JournalNeurobiology of aging
Volume31
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2010

Keywords

  • Aging
  • Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
  • Framingham
  • MCI
  • Mild cognitive impairment
  • Stroke risk
  • White matter

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience
  • Aging
  • Clinical Neurology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Geriatrics and Gerontology

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