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Published on: December 16, 2022
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Associations of Peak-Width Skeletonized Mean Diffusivity and Post-Stroke Cognition.
Angela C C Jochems1, Susana Muñoz Maniega1, Una Clancy1
1Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK.
Life (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 23, 2022
Summary
Peak-width of Skeletonized Mean Diffusivity (PSMD), a marker of white matter health, is linked to cognitive function after stroke. Higher PSMD at one year post-stroke predicts lower cognitive scores, suggesting its potential for predicting long-term impairment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Post-stroke cognitive impairment significantly impacts patient recovery and quality of life.
- Peak-width of Skeletonized Mean Diffusivity (PSMD) is an emerging diffusion imaging biomarker reflecting white matter integrity.
- Understanding factors influencing cognitive decline after stroke is crucial for developing effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between PSMD and global cognitive function in patients with mild ischemic stroke.
- To examine cognitive changes at 3 months and 1 year post-stroke in relation to PSMD.
- To determine if baseline PSMD can predict cognitive outcomes at 1 year.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis of mild ischemic stroke patients (N=229 at 3 months, N=173 at 1 year).
- Assessment of global cognition using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).
- Statistical adjustment for covariates including premorbid IQ, age, sex, stroke severity, and disability.
Main Results:
- At 3 months, PSMD was not significantly associated with MoCA scores.
- At 1 year, higher PSMD was significantly associated with lower MoCA scores (βstandardized = −0.301, p < 0.001).
- Higher baseline PSMD predicted lower MoCA scores at 1 year (βstandardized = −0.182, p = 0.005).
Conclusions:
- The association between PSMD and global cognition strengthens over time after stroke, becoming significant at 1 year.
- PSMD in the subacute phase may serve as a predictor of long-term cognitive impairment following mild ischemic stroke.
- This finding highlights the utility of PSMD as a potential imaging biomarker for cognitive outcomes in stroke survivors.
