Structural changes in white matter lesion patients and their correlation with cognitive impairment

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• White matter lesions (WMLs) are implicated in cognitive decline and dementia.
• Understanding gray matter (GM) changes in WML patients is crucial but limited.
• This study investigates GM alterations in individuals with WMLs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine gray matter density (GMD) and white matter (WM) volume changes in patients with WMLs.
• To explore the correlation between these structural brain changes and cognitive assessment scores.
• To differentiate between WML-vascular dementia (VaD) and WML-non-dementia vascular cognitive impairment (VCIND) patients.

Main Methods:

• Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to analyze GM and WM changes.
• Gray matter density (GMD) was calculated across cortical and subcortical regions.
• Structural data were compared between 23 WML-VaD patients, 22 WML-VCIND patients, and 23 healthy controls (HCs).

Main Results:

• Widespread reductions in GMD were observed in WML patients compared to HCs (p<0.05).
• Significant WM volume differences were found between WML patients and HCs (p<0.05).
• Structural changes correlated significantly with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores (p<0.05), but not MMSE scores.

Conclusions:

• Gray matter density and white matter volume are altered in WMLs and detectable via neuroimaging.
• The correlation between structural changes and cognitive function provides a promising avenue for understanding WMLs' pathology.
• These findings contribute to understanding the mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment in WML patients.