Regional Gray Matter Atrophy in Vascular Mild Cognitive Impairment

The aim of this study was to explore the neuroanatomical bases of vascular mild cognitive impairment (VaMCI) with respect to attention/executive function, memory, language, and visuospatial function.

We used voxel-based morphometric analysis to identify brain regions that significantly differed in terms of gray matter volumes (GMVs) between 43 patients with VaMCI and 55 healthy controls. Then, we compared the individual GMVs of the selected regions with the neuropsychological profiles of the VaMCI patients.

The delayed recall component of the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (CFT) (74.4%), the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (74.4%), the Boston Naming Test (51.2%), and the CFT-copy (81.4%) shared the highest incidence of impairment in the 4 cognitive domains, respectively. Compared with controls, patients with VaMCI exhibited significantly reduced GMVs. This effect was mainly present in the frontal regions, including the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), the orbital portion of the superior frontal gyrus (SFG), and the left supplemental motor area, and was also observed in the bilateral posterior cingulated cortex (PCC). GMVs were significantly correlated with performance in the Trail Making Test, part B, in the bilateral DLPFC and PCC, the clock drawing test in the right orbital portion of the SFG, and CFT-delayed recall in the right PCC.

These results, from the perspective of brain morphology, uniquely explored the specific cerebral structural changes of VaMCI, thus providing a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease.