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Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
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White matter tract abnormalities are associated with cognitive dysfunction in secondary progressive multiple
Kim A Meijer1, Nils Muhlert2, Mara Cercignani3
1Department of Anatomy & Neurosciences, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands/NMR Research Unit, Queen Square MS Centre, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, UK k.meijer@vumc.nl.
Multiple Sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)
|January 7, 2016
Summary
Cognitively impaired secondary progressive multiple sclerosis patients show more white matter damage than preserved patients. White matter integrity loss explains cognitive decline in these patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- White Matter Integrity
Background:
- Cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS) is increasingly understood in relapsing-remitting MS.
- Understanding of white matter (WM) pathology in secondary progressive MS (SPMS) lags behind.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in WM tract damage extent and severity between cognitively impaired (CI) and cognitively preserved (CP) SPMS patients.
- To correlate WM integrity with cognitive performance in SPMS.
Main Methods:
- Acquired conventional and diffusion MRI from 30 SPMS patients and 32 healthy controls (HC).
- Assessed cognitive domains frequently affected in MS.
- Employed tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) for diffusion measure comparison and linear regression to predict cognition.
Main Results:
- 12 SPMS patients were classified as CI, with processing speed most affected.
- Widespread WM integrity loss was observed in SPMS patients compared to HC.
- CI patients exhibited more extensive and severe WM tract damage (fornix, superior longitudinal fasciculus, forceps major) than CP patients.
Conclusions:
- Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) assessment of WM integrity loss is a significant factor in explaining cognitive decline in SPMS.
- WM tract damage severity differentiates CI from CP SPMS patients.
