Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 17, 2026

Lesion Explorer: A Video-guided, Standardized Protocol for Accurate and Reliable MRI-derived Volumetrics in Alzheimer's Disease and Normal Elderly
12:50

Lesion Explorer: A Video-guided, Standardized Protocol for Accurate and Reliable MRI-derived Volumetrics in Alzheimer's Disease and Normal Elderly

Published on: April 14, 2014

White matter volumes and periventricular white matter hyperintensities in aging and dementia

C D Smith1, D A Snowdon, H Wang

  • 1Department of Neurology, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington 40536, USA. csmith@mri.uky.edu

Neurology
|February 26, 2000
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Periventricular white matter hyperintensities on MRI scans did not correlate with brain pathology or cognitive decline in aged individuals. Reduced white matter volume, however, was linked to dementia in this study.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Gerontology
  • Neuroimaging

Background:

  • Periventricular white matter hyperintensities (PWMH) on MRI in aging populations have unclear significance.
  • The Nun Study provides a unique longitudinal cohort with autopsy data for 678 participants.
  • This study investigates the link between brain imaging, pathology, and cognition in aging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between MRI-detected periventricular white matter hyperintensities, cerebral white matter volumes, and neuropathologic findings.
  • To correlate these imaging markers with cognitive status in aged individuals.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized MRI to measure cerebral white matter volumes in 52 fixed brains.
  • Correlated MRI findings with postmortem neuropathologic examination of white matter and neocortex.
  • Examined associations with cognitive measures from the Nun Study.

Main Results:

  • Reduced cerebral white matter volume was associated with dementia.
  • Periventricular white matter hyperintensities were not significantly related to white matter volume, stroke, or dementia.
  • No direct link found between PWMH and adverse neuropathologic or cognitive outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • The findings do not support the hypothesis that periventricular hyperintensities on MRI have detrimental effects in aged individuals.
  • Reduced white matter volume, not PWMH, appears to be a more significant indicator of cognitive impairment in this cohort.
  • Further research may clarify the role of white matter integrity in cognitive aging.

More Related Videos

3D Modeling of the Lateral Ventricles and Histological Characterization of Periventricular Tissue in Humans and Mouse15:26

3D Modeling of the Lateral Ventricles and Histological Characterization of Periventricular Tissue in Humans and Mouse

Published on: May 19, 2015

Related Concept Videos

Dementia l: Introduction01:22

Dementia l: Introduction

Dementia is an acquired, progressive syndrome characterized by a decline in multiple cognitive domains severe enough to impair daily functioning and reduce independence. Although memory loss is a central feature, the diagnosis requires additional deficits involving language, executive function, visuospatial skills, judgment, calculation, or abstract reasoning. These cognitive impairments reflect underlying neurodegenerative or vascular processes that gradually disrupt neuronal networks...
Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction01:29

Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction

Alzheimer disease is a chronic, progressive, and irreversible neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia in older adults. It leads to gradual neuronal loss, causing cognitive decline, behavioral changes, and loss of functional independence.Risk Factors and EtiologyThe disease is multifactorial. Age is the strongest risk factor, with prevalence doubling every 5 years after age 65. Genetic factors include mutations in genes such as APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2, which are associated...
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology01:23

Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology

Alzheimer disease involves structural changes in the brain that begin long before symptoms appear. The most distinctive features are extracellular neuritic plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles.Neuritic plaques form in the cerebral cortex and around blood vessels. These plaques contain a dense core of beta-amyloid (Aβ)—a toxic protein fragment that clumps outside neurons. The core is surrounded by damaged neuronal extensions, as well as reactive astrocytes and microglia. Abnormal...