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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

Published on: July 28, 2013

Different patterns of white matter degeneration using multiple diffusion indices and volumetric data in mild

Gilberto Sousa Alves1, Laurence O'Dwyer, Alina Jurcoane

  • 1Alzheimer's Disease Center-Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. gsalves123@hotmail.com

Plos One
|January 10, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) show white matter abnormalities. Diffusion tensor imaging reveals widespread microstructural damage in AD and MCI, suggesting secondary degeneration plays a key role.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroimaging
  • Neurology
  • Biomedical Engineering

Background:

  • Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder causing age-related cognitive decline.
  • Early-stage AD is linked to white matter (WM) microstructural abnormalities.
  • Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and volumetric measurements are crucial for understanding AD pathology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively investigate white matter (WM) pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) using DTI and volumetric data.
  • To differentiate between primary and secondary degeneration in AD and MCI.
  • To identify specific WM tracts affected in early and advanced stages of AD.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and brain volumetric measurements.
  • Analyzed data from 58 participants: cognitively normal controls, amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, and AD patients.
  • Compared DTI indices (e.g., fractional anisotropy - FA, mean diffusivity) and gray matter atrophy across groups.

Main Results:

  • Both MCI and AD subjects exhibited widespread reductions in FA in the corpus callosum, cingulate, and uncinate fasciculus compared to controls.
  • AD patients showed increased mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity compared to controls.
  • Even after accounting for gray matter atrophy, significant FA reductions persisted in the corpus callosum and uncinate fasciculus in AD patients.

Conclusions:

  • The findings suggest a combination of primary and secondary degeneration in MCI and AD.
  • Secondary degeneration appears to be a more critical factor in dementia stages of AD.
  • Specific white matter tracts like the corpus callosum and uncinate fasciculus are uniquely vulnerable in AD pathology.

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