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White matter hyperintensities and their relationship to cognition: Effects of segmentation algorithm
Meral A Tubi1, Franklin W Feingold2, Deydeep Kothapalli1
1Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, 90292, USA.
Neuroimage
|November 5, 2019
Summary
White matter hyperintensities (WMH) impact cognition, but Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology can mask these effects. Specific WMH segmentation methods reveal stronger associations with cognitive decline in individuals without AD biomarkers.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- Gerontology
Background:
- White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are MRI-detected lesions linked to cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- Previous studies show inconsistent associations between WMH volume and cognitive performance.
- WMH segmentation methods vary, potentially affecting results.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between WMH volumes and cognitive measures.
- To determine how different WMH segmentation criteria influence these associations.
- To explore whether AD neuropathology obscures WMH effects on cognition.
Main Methods:
- Compared five WMH segmentation methods in 260 non-demented participants from ADNI.
- Related WMH volumes to clinical diagnosis and cognitive function (executive function, memory).
- Analyzed data separately for participants with and without abnormal cerebrospinal fluid amyloid levels.
Main Results:
- WMH volume estimates excluding diffuse lesions correlated more strongly with diagnosis and cognition.
- This stronger correlation was observed only in participants without abnormal amyloid levels.
- AD neuropathology may mask the clinical and cognitive impact of WMHs.
Conclusions:
- WMH segmentation criteria significantly influence observed relationships with cognitive outcomes.
- Excluding diffuse WMH lesions may provide more robust associations.
- AD-specific processes can confound the detection of WMH effects on cognition.
