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Published on: August 11, 2016
Altered morphological connectivity mediated white matter hyperintensity-related cognitive impairment
Haifeng Chen1, Jingxian Xu2, Weiping Lv3
1Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China; Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Province Stroke Center for Diagnosis and Therapy, Nanjing, China; Nanjing Neuropsychiatry Clinic Medical Center, Nanjing, China.
White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are linked to cognitive decline. This study found altered brain network connections in individuals with WMH and mild cognitive impairment, suggesting potential for early imaging diagnostics.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Medical Imaging Analysis
Background:
- White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are common in older adults and associated with cognitive impairment.
- The neuroimaging mechanisms underlying WMH-related cognitive dysfunction are not fully understood.
- Investigating brain network alterations in WMH is crucial for understanding cognitive decline.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the topological properties of morphological brain networks in individuals with WMH.
- To assess the relationship between network alterations and cognitive impairment in the context of WMH.
- To determine if altered brain connectivity mediates the link between WMH and cognitive deficits.
Main Methods:
- Recruited participants with WMH and mild cognitive impairment (WMH-MCI), WMH with normal cognition (WMH-NC), and healthy controls (HC).
- Constructed individual morphological brain networks using gray matter volume distributions and Kullback-Leibler divergence.
- Applied graph theory to analyze network topological properties, including nodal efficiency, centrality, and rich-club organization.
Main Results:
- Nodal local efficiency, degree centrality, and betweenness centrality were altered in the limbic network (LN) and default mode network (DMN).
- WMH-MCI subjects exhibited reduced average strength in feeder and local connections compared to HC.
- Altered morphological connectivity mediated the relationship between WMH and both language and executive functions.
Conclusions:
- The topological organization of morphological networks is altered in WMH-related cognitive impairment, particularly within the DMN and LN.
- While rich-club connections were preserved, feeder and local connections showed decline.
- Single-subject morphological networks show promise for early imaging-based diagnosis of WMH-related cognitive impairment.
