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White matter lesions and hippocampal atrophy in Alzheimer's disease

Frank-Erik de Leeuw1, Frederik Barkhof, Philip Scheltens

  • 1Alzheimer Center, Department of Neurology, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Neurology
|January 28, 2004
PubMed

Insights

White matter lesions and hippocampal atrophy are linked in Alzheimer's disease. This suggests vascular issues and typical Alzheimer's pathology may be related, impacting disease progression.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Neuroimaging
  • Alzheimer's Disease Research

Background:

  • White matter lesions (WML) and hippocampal atrophy (HA) are common in Alzheimer's Disease (AD).
  • The etiological relationship between WML and HA in AD is not fully understood.
  • Investigating the interplay between vascular and neurodegenerative pathologies is crucial for AD understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if WML and HA are independent or related in patients with probable AD.
  • To investigate the association between the extent and location of WML and the degree of HA.
  • To elucidate the relationship between vascular pathology (WML) and AD-typical pathology (HA).

Main Methods:

  • Cerebral MRI scans were analyzed in 179 patients diagnosed with probable AD.
  • Quantification of white matter lesions (WML) and hippocampal atrophy (HA) was performed.
  • Statistical analysis was used to assess the linear relationship between WML and HA.

Main Results:

  • A significant linear relationship was identified between WML and HA in the study cohort.
  • This association was particularly pronounced for WML located in the frontal and parieto-occipital brain regions.
  • The findings indicate a connection between the burden of white matter lesions and the degree of hippocampal atrophy.

Conclusions:

  • Vascular pathology, indicated by WML, is related to typical Alzheimer's disease pathology, represented by HA.
  • The co-occurrence of WML and HA suggests a potential shared or interacting role in the pathogenesis of AD.
  • These results highlight the importance of considering both vascular and neurodegenerative factors in Alzheimer's disease.

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