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. 2018 Dec:72:14-22.
doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.08.005. Epub 2018 Aug 9.

Cerebral tract integrity relates to white matter hyperintensities, cortex volume, and cognition

Stephan Seiler  1 , Evan Fletcher  2 , Kinsy Hassan-Ali  2 , Michelle Weinstein  2 , Alexa Beiser  3 , Jayandra J Himali  3 , Claudia L Satizabal  4 , Sudha Seshadri  4 , Charles DeCarli  2 , Pauline Maillard  2
Affiliations

Cerebral tract integrity relates to white matter hyperintensities, cortex volume, and cognition

Stephan Seiler et al. Neurobiol Aging. 2018 Dec.

Abstract

We examined the relationship among white matter (WM) tract integrity, WM hyperintensities (WMH), lobar gray matter (GM) volumes, and cognition in the cross-sectional Framingham Offspring Study. Six hundred eighty participants (71.7 ± 7.7 years) completed cognitive testing and magnetic resonance imaging. Diffusion tensor imaging probabilistic tractography was used to reconstruct major WM tracts. We computed tract-specific mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and tract-specific WMH ratio. Linear regressions identified relations between tracts and lobar GM volumes. Partial least squares regression examined associations between integrity of combined tracts, lobar GM volumes and cognition, including scores of memory and processing speed. Five tracts were particularly vulnerable to WMH, and tract-specific WMH volumes were inversely associated with tract-specific FA (p values < 0.05). Tract-specific FA related to lobar GM volumes. Memory was associated with lobar GM, while processing speed related to both tract integrity and lobar GM volumes. We conclude that subtle microstructural WM tract degeneration relates to specific lobar GM atrophy. The integrity of associated WM tracts and GM lobes differentially impacts memory and processing speed.

Keywords: Cognitive aging; Diffusion tensor imaging; Magnetic resonance imaging; Tractography; WMH; White matter hyperintensities.

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Figures

Fig.1
Fig.1. Boxplot of tract-specific white matter hyperintensities (WMH) ratio
Abbreviations: CGC: cingulate gyrus part of cingulum, CGH: parahippocampal part of cingulum, FMA: forceps major, FMI: forceps minor, IFO: inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, ILF: inferior longitudinal fasciculus, SLF: superior longitudinal fasciculus, PTR: posterior thalamic radiation, UNC: uncinate fasciculus.
Fig.2
Fig.2. Composite map of white matter tracts
Composite map illustrates the frequency map (thresholded at 20%) for the nine white matter tracts, including the forceps major (FMA), forceps minor (FMI), inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFO), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), posterior thalamic radiation (PTR), cingulate gyrus part of cingulum (CGC), parahippocampal part of cingulum (CGH), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and uncinate fasciculus (UNC). Colors onto the cortical surface indicate lobar regions.
Fig.3
Fig.3. Boxplot of tract-specific mean fractional anisotropy (FA)
Abbreviations: CGC: cingulate gyrus part of cingulum, CGH: parahippocampal part of cingulum, FMA: forceps major, FMI: forceps minor, IFO: inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, ILF: inferior longitudinal fasciculus, SLF: superior longitudinal fasciculus, PTR: posterior thalamic radiation, UNC: uncinate fasciculus.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4. Percentage of individuals with white matter hyperintensities at a voxel location
Spatial distribution of white matter hyperintensities in the study sample among nine different tracts including the forceps major (FMA), forceps minor (FMI), inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFO), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), posterior thalamic radiation (PTR), cingulate gyrus part of cingulum (CGC), parahippocampal part of cingulum (CGH), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and uncinate fasciculus (UNC).
Fig.5
Fig.5. Logistic regression curves.
Logistic regression curves relating tract-specific mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) ratio within the following tracts: CGC: cingulate gyrus part of cingulum, CGH: parahippocampal part of cingulum, FMA: forceps major, FMI: forceps minor, IFO: inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, ILF: inferior longitudinal fasciculus, SLF: superior longitudinal fasciculus, PTR: posterior thalamic radiation, UNC: uncinate fasciculus.
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