Assessing the effects of age on long white matter tracts using diffusion tensor tractography

The cingulum bundle: anatomy, function, and dysfunction

A meta-analysis of diffusion tensor imaging in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's disease are sometimes difficult to differentiate clinically because of overlapping symptoms. Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measurements of fractional anisotropy (FA) can be useful in distinguishing the different patterns of white matter degradation between the two dementias. In this study, we performed MRI scans in a 4 Tesla MRI machine including T1-weighted structural images and diffusion tensor images in 18 patients with FTD, 18 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 19 cognitively normal (CN) controls. FA was measured selectively in specific fibre tracts (including corpus callosum, cingulum, uncinate and corticospinal tracts) as well as globally in a voxel-by-voxel analysis. Patients with FTD were associated with reductions of FA in frontal and temporal regions including the anterior corpus callosum (P < 0.001), bilateral anterior (left P < 0.001; right P = 0.005), descending (left P < 0.001; right P = 0.003) cingulum tracts, and uncinate tracts (left P < 0.001; right P = 0.005), compared to controls. Patients with Alzheimer's disease were associated with reductions of FA in parietal, temporal and frontal regions including the left anterior (P = 0.003) and posterior (P = 0.002) cingulum tracts, bilateral descending cingulum tracts (P < 0.001) and left uncinate tracts (P < 0.001) compared to controls. When compared with Alzheimer's disease, FTD was associated with greater reductions of FA in frontal brain regions, whereas no region in Alzheimer's disease showed greater reductions of FA when compared to FTD. In conclusion, the regional patterns of anisotropy reduction in FTD and Alzheimer's disease compared to controls suggest a characteristic distribution of white matter degradation in each disease. Moreover, the white matter degradation seems to be more prominent in FTD than in Alzheimer's disease. Taken together, the results suggest that white matter degradation measured with DTI may improve the diagnostic differentiation between FTD and Alzheimer's disease.

https://escholarship.org/content/qt9m68k0vc/qt9m68k0vc.pdf?t=omsvrj

White matter damage in frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease measured by diffusion MRI

Magnetic resonance tractography based on diffusion-tensor imaging was first introduced to the medical imaging community a decade ago. It has been successfully applied to a number of neurological conditions and most commonly used for preoperative planning for brain tumors and vascular malformations. Areas of active research include stroke, and dementia, where it provides valuable information not available through other imaging techniques. This technique was first introduced using the deterministic streamline algorithm and has evolved to use more sophisticated probabilistic approaches. We will review the past, present, and future of tractography, focusing primarily on its clinical applications.

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/mrms/8/4/8_4_165/_pdf

MR Tractography : A Review of Its Clinical Applications

Our aim was to determine diffusion abnormalities in the uncinate fasciculus (UF) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) using a new method for measuring the core of the tract. We studied 19 patients with AD and 19 age-matched control subjects who underwent MRI using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). DTT of the UF was generated. The mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) of the core of the tract were measured after voxelized tract shape processing. Student’s t-test was used to compare results between patients with AD and controls. Intraobserver correlation tests were also performed. FA was significantly lower (P   0.93 for measured FA and r > 0.92 for measured MD. Our results suggest that FA reflects progression of AD-related histopathological changes in the UF of the white matter and may represent a useful biological index in monitoring AD. Diffusion tensor tract-specific analysis with voxelized tract shape processing to measure the core of the tract may be a sensitive tool for evaluation of diffusion abnormalities of white matter tracts in AD.

Diffusion abnormalities of the uncinate fasciculus in Alzheimer's disease: diffusion tensor tract-specific analysis using a new method to measure the core of the tract.

Diffusion abnormality in the posterior cingulum and hippocampal volume: correlation with disease progression in Alzheimer's disease.

The aim of this study was to determine diffusion abnormalities in the posterior cingulate fiber tracts (PCFTs) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). We studied 23 AD patients and 18 age-matched normal controls who underwent magnetic resonance imaging using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). DTT of PCFTs was generated from DTI. Mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) were measured in co-registered voxels along with DTT of PCFTs. Student’s t-test was used to compare results between the AD patients and normal controls. The MD in PCFTs was significantly higher in AD patients than in normal controls (P = 0.019). The FA in PCFTs was significantly lower in AD patients than in normal controls (P = 0.007). The abnormal MD increase and FA decrease, which is considered to indicate a net loss of barriers that restrict water molecular motion and tissue anisotropy of white matter, is consistent with neuropathological data that demonstrate partial loss of myelin, axons, and oligodendrial cells in white matter of AD brains. Our results suggest that MD and FA reflect progression of AD-related histopathological changes in the PCFTs and may represent a useful biological index for monitoring AD.

Nobuo Furuta

Papers

Diffusion abnormalities of the uncinate fasciculus in Alzheimer's disease: diffusion tensor tract-specific analysis using a new method to measure the core of the tract.

Diffusion abnormality in the posterior cingulum and hippocampal volume: correlation with disease progression in Alzheimer's disease.

Diffusion abnormality in posterior cingulate fiber tracts in Alzheimer’s disease: tract-specific analysis