White Matter Hyperintensities in Alzheimer's Disease: A Lesion Probability Mapping Study

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Radiology

Background:

• White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are common in Alzheimer's disease (AD).
• Previous studies indicate higher WMH load in AD patients across various brain regions.
• Spatial distribution differences of WMH between AD and controls require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate spatial distribution differences of WMH between probable AD patients and age-matched healthy controls.
• To utilize lesion probability maps for detailed analysis of WMH distribution.
• To explore the relationship between WMH location and cognitive decline in AD.

Main Methods:

• Inclusion of 130 probable AD patients and 130 age-matched healthy controls.
• Assessment of cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, coronary artery disease, smoking).
• Non-linear registration of manually segmented FLAIR WMH masks to a template for voxel-based probability mapping.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in cardiovascular risk factors or overall WMH volume between AD patients and controls.
• AD patients exhibited a significantly higher likelihood of bilateral periventricular WMH compared to controls, even after adjustments.
• No significant association was found between periventricular WMH volume and cognitive decline in AD patients.

Conclusions:

• WMH in Alzheimer's disease are preferentially located in periventricular regions.
• The volume of white matter hyperintensities is unrelated to cognitive decline in AD patients, regardless of lesion location.