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Updated: Dec 30, 2025
Evaluation of the Cognitive Performance of Hypertensive Patients with Silent Cerebrovascular Lesions
Published on: April 23, 2021
Alterations of White Matter Microstructure in Subcortical Vascular Mild Cognitive Impairment with and without
Ziyun Xu1,2, Jianjun Wang3, Hanqing Lyu4
1Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
Background:
Depressive symptoms were thought to increase the risk of vascular dementia. Previous studies reported widespread white matter damages in the subcortical vascular mild cognitive impairment (svMCI), but little is known about the mechanism of depressive symptoms in svMCI.
Objective:
In the current study, we aim to explore the white matter microstructural alterations in svMCI with depressive symptoms, and their associations with clinical measurements.
Methods:
Fifty-eight subjects including 18 svMCI with depression (svMCI+D), 17 svMCI without depression (svMCI-D), and 23 normal controls (NC) were included in the study. Voxel-based analyses were performed on fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD).
Results:
Compared to NC, both svMCI groups showed decreased FA in the bilateral insula and the left precentral gyrus, and increased MD in the cerebellum. Compared to svMCI-D, svMCI+D showed increased FA in left precentral gyrus. Moreover, svMCI+D showed significant correlation between the increased MD in the cerebellum and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) scores.
Conclusion:
Our findings of white matter alterations might be associated with executive function and memory performance in the svMCI patients. Moreover, the structural alterations in the cerebellum might underlie the mechanism of depressive symptoms in svMCI patients.
Insights
Depressive symptoms in subcortical vascular mild cognitive impairment (svMCI) are linked to specific white matter changes in the cerebellum. These alterations may explain the mechanism behind depression in svMCI patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Vascular Dementia Research
Background:
- Depressive symptoms are hypothesized to elevate the risk of vascular dementia.
- Subcortical vascular mild cognitive impairment (svMCI) is associated with widespread white matter damage, but the mechanism of depressive symptoms in svMCI remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate white matter microstructural alterations in svMCI patients with depressive symptoms.
- To explore the association between these alterations and clinical measurements.
Main Methods:
- Voxel-based analyses of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were conducted.
- The study included 58 participants: 18 svMCI with depression (svMCI+D), 17 svMCI without depression (svMCI-D), and 23 normal controls (NC).
Main Results:
- Both svMCI groups exhibited reduced FA in the insula and precentral gyrus, and increased MD in the cerebellum compared to NC.
- svMCI+D patients showed increased FA in the left precentral gyrus compared to svMCI-D.
- Increased cerebellar MD in svMCI+D correlated significantly with Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) scores.
Conclusions:
- White matter alterations in svMCI may relate to executive function and memory deficits.
- Cerebellar structural changes could be a key mechanism underlying depressive symptoms in svMCI.
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