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Updated: May 26, 2026
07:30
Evaluation of the Cognitive Performance of Hypertensive Patients with Silent Cerebrovascular Lesions
Published on: April 23, 2021
Reduced white matter integrity is related to cognitive instability
Anders M Fjell1, Lars T Westlye, Inge K Amlien
1Center for the Study of Human Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway. andersmf@psykologi.uio.no
Summary
Performance variability in healthy adults is linked to white matter (WM) integrity. Poorer WM quality, measured by diffusion tensor imaging, correlates with increased reaction time variability, especially with age.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Radiology
Background:
- Performance variability, seen in aging and cognitive decline, has unclear underlying brain structures.
- White matter (WM) tract disconnectivity may increase neural noise and performance variability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between white matter (WM) integrity and performance variability in healthy adults.
- To determine if diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures of WM quality correlate with reaction time variability.
Main Methods:
- 270 healthy adults completed an Eriksen flanker task measuring reaction time variability (sdRT) and median reaction time (mRT).
- Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analyzed diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data, including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusion (MD), radial diffusion (RD), and axial diffusion (AD).
Main Results:
- Significant relationships were found between sdRT and all DTI measures across most WM areas, independent of median reaction time, age, and sex.
- Effects were more widespread in the congruent condition, with RD and MD related to sdRT in nearly 50% of voxels.
- The strength of these relationships increased significantly with age.
Conclusions:
- Individual differences in white matter (WM) integrity are a likely cause of performance variability.
- Performance variability is a promising behavioral marker for individual differences in WM microstructure.
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