Microstructural white matter changes in high-risk individuals of mild cognitive impairment: A longitudinal analysis of diffusion tensor imaging / 中国介入影像与治疗学

ABSTRACT

Objective To longitudinally analyze microstructural white matter changes in high risk mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients with DTI.Methods Structural MRI,DTI and psychometric analyses were performed in 102 individuals with 1 year follow-up.At the end of the follow-up,11 participants were diagnosed with MCI (CN-MCI group),while 91 participants were classified as cognitively stable (CN-stable group).The differences of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) between the two groups were analyzed,and the relationship with MCIs and cognitive ability was observed with multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results At the baseline assessment,MD of CN-MCI group increased in fornix and left parahippocampal gyrus white matter compared with those of CN-stable group (P＜0.05).For 1-year follow-up reassessment,the MD of CN-MCI group increased in the fornix,left parahippocampal gyrus white matter,left eingulum and splenium,while FA of CN-MCI group reduced in fornix and left parahippocampal gyrus white matter compared with those of CN-stable group (P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that MD of the fornix could be a predictor of conversion from a high risk MCI to MCI,and MD of left parahippocampus gyrus white matter was a risk factor for increased CDR scores.Conclusion For high-risk MCI individuals,microstructural white matter changes may be used as potential imaging biomarkers in the early phase of AD.