Influence of mild cognitive impairment and body mass index on white matter integrity assessed by diffusion tensor imaging

• Published in: Psychophysiology 2023-09, Vol.60 (9), p.e14306-n/a
• Main Authors: Tinney, Emma M., Loui, Psyche, Raine, Lauren B., Hiscox, Lucy V., Delgorio, Peyton L., Kramer, Mary K., Schwarb, Hillary, Martens, Christopher R., Kramer, Arthur F., Hillman, Charles H., Johnson, Curtis L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; aging; Alzheimer's disease; Body Mass Index; Cognitive ability; Cognitive Dysfunction - diagnostic imaging; Corpus callosum; diffusion tensor imaging; Diffusion Tensor Imaging - methods; Humans; Magnetic resonance imaging; Memory; mild cognitive impairment; Neural networks; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Neuroimaging; Neuropsychological Tests; Older people; Osteoarthritis; relational memory; Substantia alba; White Matter - diagnostic imaging; white matter integrity
• ISSN: 0048-5772; 1469-8986; 1469-8986; 1540-5958
• DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14306

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease, is characterized by decreased memory and cognition, which are linked to degenerative changes in the brain. To assess whether white matter (WM) integrity is compromised in MCI, we collected diffusion‐weighted images from 60 healthy older adults (OA) (69.16 ± 0.7) and 20 older adults with amnestic MCI (72.45 ± 1.9). WM integrity differences were examined using Tract‐Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS). We hypothesized that those with MCI would have diminished WM integrity relative to OA. In a whole‐brain comparison, those with MCI showed higher axial diffusivity in the splenium (SCC) and body of the corpus callosum (BCC), superior corona radiata (SCR), and the retrolenticular part of the internal capsule (RLIC) (p's