White matter abnormalities in mobility-impaired older persons.

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Gerontology
• Neurology

Background:

• Gait and balance impairments are common in older adults, significantly impacting mobility and independence.
• White matter abnormalities on MRI are increasingly recognized as a potential contributor to motor deficits in aging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between white matter abnormalities and impaired gait and balance in the elderly population.
• To differentiate age-related white matter changes from disease-related changes and their respective impacts on mobility.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative MRI was employed to assess brain tissue compartments in 28 older individuals, categorized by mobility performance using the Short Physical Performance Battery.
• Gait and balance were evaluated using six specific indices, alongside MRI-based segmentation of intracranial volume into four tissue classes.

Main Results:

• The mobility-impaired group exhibited both reduced white matter volume (age-related) and increased white matter signal abnormalities (not age-related) compared to controls.
• Individuals with impaired mobility showed nearly double the average volume of white matter signal abnormalities compared to the control group.

Conclusions:

• Decreased white matter volume is associated with aging, while increased signal abnormalities suggest a disease-related process.
• Both age-related white matter volume reduction and disease-related signal abnormalities are independently linked to impaired mobility in older persons.
• These distinct white matter changes likely act as additive factors contributing to motor disability in the elderly.