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Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
09:33

Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases

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Diffusion tensor imaging in Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies

Michael J Firbank1, Andrew M Blamire, Andrew Teodorczuk

  • 1Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5PL, UK. m.j.firbank@ncl.ac.uk

Psychiatry Research
|September 30, 2011
PubMed

Insights

This study reveals distinct white matter changes in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) using MRI. DLB showed reduced fractional anisotropy linked to motor function, while AD had increased diffusivity in the temporal lobe.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroimaging
  • Neurology
  • Radiology

Background:

  • White matter alterations are implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) but less studied in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).
  • Diffusion imaging provides insights into white matter microstructure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and compare white matter changes in AD and DLB using diffusion-weighted MRI.
  • To correlate white matter findings with clinical symptoms and hippocampal integrity.

Main Methods:

  • Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and high-resolution 3T MRI of the medial temporal lobe.
  • Analysis included 16 subjects with AD, 16 with DLB, and 16 healthy controls.
  • Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) analysis was employed.

Main Results:

  • Increased mean diffusivity in the temporal lobe of AD patients.
  • Reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right postcentral gyrus in DLB, correlating with UPDRS motor scores.
  • Reduced FA in the corpus callosum, fornix, and stria terminalis correlated with visual hippocampal ratings.

Conclusions:

  • Hippocampal changes in AD are associated with white matter alterations in its output pathways.
  • Motor function deficits in DLB are linked to white matter changes beneath the somatosensory cortex.
  • Diffusion imaging can differentiate white matter pathologies in AD and DLB.

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