1. Severity of white matter hyperintensities: Lesion patterns, cognition, and microstructural changes.
- Author
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Zeng W, Chen Y, Zhu Z, Gao S, Xia J, Chen X, Jia J, and Zhang Z
- Subjects
- Aged, Aging pathology, Brain pathology, Brain ultrastructure, Case-Control Studies, Cognitive Dysfunction diagnosis, Cognitive Dysfunction physiopathology, Cross-Sectional Studies, Diffusion Tensor Imaging methods, Female, Humans, Independent Living statistics & numerical data, Leukoaraiosis pathology, Male, Memory, Episodic, Memory, Short-Term physiology, Middle Aged, Middle Cerebellar Peduncle diagnostic imaging, Middle Cerebellar Peduncle physiopathology, Neuropsychological Tests standards, Severity of Illness Index, White Matter abnormalities, White Matter pathology, White Matter ultrastructure, Brain diagnostic imaging, Cognitive Dysfunction pathology, Leukoaraiosis diagnostic imaging, Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods, White Matter diagnostic imaging
- Abstract
White matter hyperintensity (WMH) is a common finding in aging population and considered to be a contributor to cognitive decline. Our study aimed to characterize the spatial patterns of WMH in different severities and explore its impact on cognition and brain microstructure in non-demented elderly. Lesions were both qualitatively (Fazekas scale) and quantitatively assessed among 321 community-dwelled individuals with MRI scanning. Voxel- and atlas-based analyses of the whole-brain white matter microstructure were performed. The WMH of the same severities was found to occur uniformly with a specific pattern of lesions. The severity of WMH had a significant negative association with the performance of working and episodic memory, beginning to appear in Fazekas 3 and 4. The white matter tracts presented significant impairments in Fazekas 3, which showed brain-wide changes above Fazekas 4. Lower FA in the superior cerebellar peduncle and left posterior thalamic radiation was mainly associated with episodic memory, and the middle cerebellar peduncle was significantly associated with working memory. These results support that memory is the primary domain to be affected by WMH, and the effect may potentially be influenced by tract-specific WM abnormalities. Fazekas scale 3 might be the critical stage predicting a future decline in cognition.
- Published
- 2020
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