scholarly journals Distinctive Patterns of Tau Accumulation and White-Matter Degeneration on Domain-Specific Neuropsychiatric Test Scores

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zack Hall ◽  
Billy Chien ◽  
Shannon Risacher ◽  
Andrew Saykin ◽  
Yu-Chien Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Visual Memory ◽  
Visuospatial Ability ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
White Matter Degeneration ◽  
Tau Pet ◽  
The Brain

Background:  Diagnosis of AD is often started via cognitive tests such as the Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) or Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) with the diagnosis being finalized with autopsy. Currently, positron emission tomography (PET) tracers are used to visualize tau and beta amyloid accumulation in the brain. These imaging techniques demonstrate significant correlations with cognitive decline and have been used to aid in the diagnosis of AD. Particularly, tau accumulation has been shown to progress in a distinct pattern and has been linked to white matter degeneration. We hypothesized that tau accumulation and white matter degeneration in different brain regions have unique correlation patterns with domain-specific neuropsychiatric test scores.   Methods:  This study included 87 older adults (57 cognitively normal subjects and 27 mild cognitive impairment) from the Indiana Alzheimer’s Disease Center. All participants underwent tau-PET ([18F] Flortaucipir PET) and diffusion MRI (dMRI) exams. Tau accumulation was quantified with tau-PET SUVR. White-matter structural connectivity (SC), which probes the integrity of white-matter connections of the brain, was quantified by metrices extracted from dMRI using network analysis. Both tau accumulation and SC measurements were quantified in 84 cortical region of interests (ROIs) and were compared to their domain specific neuropsychiatric test scores with linear regression analysis.  Results:  The verbal memory, visual memory, and visuospatial ability all had unique region-specific correlations with white-matter degeneration and tau accumulation. Verbal memory was solely correlated with tau accumulation. Visual memory was related to both tau accumulation and white-matter SC. Finally, visuospatial ability was only correlated with white-matter SC.   Potential Impact:  This data reveals that although there is a tight interplay between tau accumulation and white-matter degeneration, they affect brain functions in different ways. Specifically, grey-matter tau accumulation is associated with overall memory loss and decrease in the white-matter connectivity affects the visual-related information processing.  

scholarly journals White matter network damage mediates association between cerebrovascular disease and cognition

2021 ◽  
pp. 0271678X2199098
Author(s):  
Saima Hilal ◽  
Siwei Liu ◽  
Tien Yin Wong ◽  
Henri Vrooman ◽  
Ching-Yu Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Cerebrovascular Disease ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Visual Memory ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Mean Diffusivity ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Epidemiology Of Dementia ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
White Matter Connectivity

To determine whether white matter network disruption mediates the association between MRI markers of cerebrovascular disease (CeVD) and cognitive impairment. Participants (n = 253, aged ≥60 years) from the Epidemiology of Dementia in Singapore study underwent neuropsychological assessments and MRI. CeVD markers were defined as lacunes, white matter hyperintensities (WMH), microbleeds, cortical microinfarcts, cortical infarcts and intracranial stenosis (ICS). White matter microstructure damage was measured as fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity by tract based spatial statistics from diffusion tensor imaging. Cognitive function was summarized as domain-specific Z-scores. Lacunar counts, WMH volume and ICS were associated with worse performance in executive function, attention, language, verbal and visual memory. These three CeVD markers were also associated with white matter microstructural damage in the projection, commissural, association, and limbic fibers. Path analyses showed that lacunar counts, higher WMH volume and ICS were associated with executive and verbal memory impairment via white matter disruption in commissural fibers whereas impairment in the attention, visual memory and language were mediated through projection fibers. Our study shows that the abnormalities in white matter connectivity may underlie the relationship between CeVD and cognition. Further longitudinal studies are needed to understand the cause-effect relationship between CeVD, white matter damage and cognition.

Impact of Androgen-Deprivation Therapy on Cognitive Function in Men With Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer

2010 ◽  
Vol 28 (34) ◽  
pp. 5030-5037 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shabbir M.H. Alibhai ◽  
Henriette Breunis ◽  
Narhari Timilshina ◽  
Shireen Marzouk ◽  
Diane Stewart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Androgen Deprivation Therapy ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Visual Memory ◽  
Androgen Deprivation ◽  
Visuospatial Ability ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
Immediate Memory

Purpose To evaluate the effects of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) on cognitive function in men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer (PC). Patients and Methods The following three groups of men age 50 years or older and matched on age and education were enrolled: patients with PC starting continuous ADT (n = 77), patients with PC not receiving ADT (PC controls, n = 82), and healthy controls (n = 82). A battery of 14 neuropsychological tests, examining eight cognitive domains, was administered at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Changes in cognitive scores over time were analyzed using the following three approaches: multivariable linear regression; the proportion of participants per group with 1 standard deviation (SD) or greater declines, and the proportion of participants who declined by at least 1.5 SD on two or more tests. Results The mean age and education level of participants were 68.9 years (range, 50 to 87 years) and 15.4 years of education (range, 8 to 24 years), respectively. Adjusted for age and education, all three cohorts had similar cognitive scores at baseline other than in one test of working memory. In adjusted regressions, ADT use was not associated with significant changes in the domains of attention/processing speed, verbal fluency, verbal memory, visual memory, or cognitive flexibility at either 6 months (all P > .05) or 12 months (all P > .05). One test each of immediate memory (P = .029), working memory (P = .031), and visuospatial ability (P = .034) were worse among ADT users than controls at 12 months, but these findings were not confirmed using other analytic approaches. Conclusion There is no consistent evidence that 12 months of ADT use has an adverse effect on cognitive function in elderly men with PC.

Mapping the brain pathways of declarative verbal memory: Evidence from white matter lesions in the living human brain

NeuroImage ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 1237-1243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Sepulcre ◽  
Joseph C. Masdeu ◽  
Jaume Sastre-Garriga ◽  
Joaquín Goñi ◽  
Nieves Vélez-de-Mendizábal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
White Matter Lesions ◽  
Brain Pathways ◽  
The Brain

scholarly journals Vascular Territory, White Matter Connections and the Neuroanatomical Basis of Memory Impairment after Stroke

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Wright ◽  
Michael J. O’Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Visual Memory ◽  
Memory Impairment ◽  
Visual Recognition ◽  
Recall Performance ◽  
Lesion Volume ◽  
Lesion Location ◽  
Verbal Recall ◽  
Left Posterior

ABSTRACTObjectiveTo investigate neuroanatomical correlates of memory impairment 30-90 days after stroke, including the role of white matter connections in the core circuit for episodic memory.MethodsA cohort of 179 patients with first symptomatic ischaemic stroke were enrolled into a longitudinal cognitive study, STRATEGIC. Verbal and visual memory were assessed at 50±19 (range 22-109) days. Lesion topography was defined by imaging (n=152). In a representative subgroup (n=53), 3T MRI and tractography was used to define patterns of tract injury and microstructure of uninjured tracts.ResultsLesion location, defined by arterial territory, was associated with verbal memory impairment (F(12,164)=2.62, p=0.003), independent of other factors such as age, risk factor status and lesion volume. Independent lesion symptom mapping identified regions of the left posterior temporal white matter, within the left posterior cerebral artery territory, associated specifically with verbal recall. Visual recognition memory was associated with microstructure of the uninjured fornix but not with lesion location.ConclusionsInfarct location strongly influenced verbal recall performance 50 days after stroke. Damage in two locations underpinned this relationship: the thalamus; and within the left PCA territory, where disconnection of parahippocampal white matter projections contributed to verbal memory impairment in some cases. The correlates of early cognitive prognosis were domain-specific with a different pattern of associations with executive function. The association between microstructure of the uninjured fornix and visual memory might reflect the effects of comorbid pathology on hippocampal circuits.

Domain-Specific Cognitive Recovery after First-Ever Stroke: A 2-Year Follow-Up

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katri E.A. Turunen ◽  
Siiri P.K. Laari ◽  
Tatu V. Kauranen ◽  
Jenni Uimonen ◽  
Satu Mustanoja ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Visual Memory ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Cognitively Impaired ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Cognitive Improvement ◽  
Cognitively Intact

AbstractObjectives: The aim of this work was to study the change in different cognitive domains after stroke during a 2-year follow-up. Method: We evaluated both neuropsychologically and neurologically a consecutive cohort of working-age patients with a first-ever stroke at baseline (within the first weeks), 6 months, and 2 years after stroke-onset. A total of 153 patients participated in all examinations and were compared to 50 healthy controls. Results: Forty-nine percent of the patients were cognitively impaired at baseline, 41% at 6 months, and 39% at 2-year follow-up. We analyzed seven cognitive domains (impairment rates at baseline and 2-year follow-up): psychomotor speed (34%; 23%), executive functions (27%; 17%), visual memory (21%; 4%), visuospatial function (20%; 14%), verbal memory (18%; 12%), basic language processing (baseline 11%; 6 months 5%), and reasoning (2 years 14%). The patients who were cognitively impaired at baseline improved more within 6 months, than either the controls or cognitively intact patients in all cognitive domains (all p<.05). Later on, between 6 months and 2 years, the domain-specific change scores did not differ between patients who were cognitively intact and impaired at 6 months. Also, the cognitive status (intact or impaired) remained the same in 90% of patients between 6-month and 2-year follow-ups. At 2 years, half of the patients, who were categorized cognitively impaired, were rated as well-recovered according to neurological evaluation. Conclusions: Most of the cognitive improvement took place within 6 months. Long-lasting cognitive impairment was common even after good neurological recovery. An early neuropsychological examination is essential in evaluating cognitive dysfunction and need for rehabilitation. (JINS, 2018, 24, 117–127)

Domain-Specific Cognitive Trajectories Among Patients with Minor Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack in a 6-Year Prospective Asian Cohort: Serial Patterns and Indicators

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Xuhao Zhao ◽  
Eddie Jun Yi Chong ◽  
Wei Qi ◽  
Ting Pang ◽  
Xin Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transient Ischemic Attack ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Visual Memory ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Minor Stroke ◽  
Cognitive Changes ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Cognitive Improvement ◽  
Ischemic Attack

Background: Long-term post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) has often been overlooked, especially among patients with minor stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Objective: To assess 6-year domain-specific cognitive trajectories among survivors of minor stroke or TIA and to identify possible indicators associated with cognitive trajectories, as well as long-term and incident PSCI. Methods: Eligible participants completed cognitive and clinical assessments at baseline (2 weeks after stroke) and up to 5 follow-up visits in 6 years. Mixed linear models and generalized estimating equations were adopted to analyze longitudinal data and survival analysis to explore incident PSCI, controlling for demographic, clinical, and vascular indicators. Results: The prevalence of PSCI and mortality rate ranged from 34.6% to 53.7%, and 0 to 7.7% respectively, among 244 patients. Incidence of PSCI was 21.9%. While visual memory demonstrated a significant improvement (p <  0.05), other cognitive domains showed a fluctuating yet stable pattern across visits (all ps >  0.05). Besides age, baseline IQCODE (attention: –0.218 SD/y, executive function: –0.238 SD/y, visual memory: –0.266 SD/y), and MoCA improvement within 1 year (visuoconstruction: 0.007 SD/y, verbal memory: 0.012 SD/y) were associated with longitudinal cognitive changes. Baseline MoCA (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = [0.59–0.74]), MoCA improvement within 3–6 months (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = [0.71–0.89], and within 1 year (OR = 0.86, 95% CI = [0.76–0.96]) were associated with long-term PSCI, while baseline MoCA (OR = 0.76, 95% CI = [0.61–0.96]) was also associated with incident PSCI. Conclusion: While most domains remained stable across-time, visual memory demonstrated an overall improvement. Short-term cognitive improvement could be an early indicator of long-term cognitive trajectory to identify individuals who may be resilient to PSCI.

Relationship Between PET-Assessed Amyloid Burden and Visual and Verbal Episodic Memory Performance in Elderly Subjects

2020 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 229-244
Author(s):  
Paula Squarzoni ◽  
Daniele de Paula Faria ◽  
Mônica Sanches Yassuda ◽  
Fábio Henrique de Gobbi Porto ◽  
Artur Martins Coutinho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Visual Memory ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Standard Uptake Value ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Elderly Subjects

Background: Studies of elderly subjects using biomarkers that are proxies for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology have the potential to document meaningful relationships between cognitive performance and biomarker changes along the AD continuum. Objective: To document cognitive performance differences across distinct AD stages using a categorization based on the presence of PET-assessed amyloid-β (Aβ) burden and neurodegeneration. Methods: Patients with mild dementia compatible with AD (n = 38) or amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI; n = 43) and a cognitively unimpaired group (n = 27) underwent PET with Pittsburgh compound-B (PiB) assessing Aβ aggregation (A+) and [18F]FDG-PET assessing neurodegeneration ((N)+). Cognitive performance was assessed with verbal and visual episodic memory tests and the Mini-Mental State Examination. Results: The A+(N)+ subgroup (n = 32) showed decreased (p < 0.001) cognitive test scores compared to both A+(N)–(n = 18) and A–(N)–(n = 49) subjects, who presented highly similar mean cognitive scores. Despite its modest size (n = 9), the A–(N)+ subgroup showed lower (p < 0.043) verbal memory scores relative to A–(N)–subjects, and trend lower (p = 0.096) scores relative to A+(N)–subjects. Continuous Aβ measures (standard uptake value ratios of PiB uptake) were correlated most significantly with visual memory scores both in the overall sample and when analyses were restricted to dementia or (N)+ subjects, but not in non-dementia or (N)–groups. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that significant Aβ-cognition relationships are highly salient at disease stages involving neurodegeneration. The fact that findings relating Aβ burden to memory performance were detected only at (N)+ stages, together with the similarity of test scores between A+(N)–and A–(N)–subjects, reinforce the view that Aβ-cognition relationships during early AD stages may remain undetectable unless substantially large samples are evaluated.

scholarly journals Multiparametric characterization of white matter alterations in early stage Huntington disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isaac M. Adanyeguh ◽  
Francesca Branzoli ◽  
Cécile Delorme ◽  
Aurélie Méneret ◽  
Marie-Lorraine Monin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Mean Diffusivity ◽  
Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
White Matter Damage ◽  
White Matter Degeneration ◽  
The Brain

AbstractHuntington’s disease (HD) is a monogenic, fully penetrant neurodegenerative disorder. Widespread white matter damage affects the brain of patients with HD at very early stages of the disease. Fixel-based analysis (FBA) is a novel method to investigate the contribution of individual crossing fibers to the white matter damage and to detect possible alterations in both fiber density and fiber-bundle morphology. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance spectroscopy (DW-MRS), on the other hand, quantifies the motion of brain metabolites in vivo, thus enabling the investigation of microstructural alteration of specific cell populations. The aim of this study was to identify novel specific microstructural imaging markers of white matter degeneration in HD, by combining FBA and DW-MRS. Twenty patients at an early stage of HD and 20 healthy controls were recruited in a monocentric study. Using diffusion imaging we observed alterations to the brain microstructure and their morphology in patients with HD. Furthermore, FBA revealed specific fiber populations that were affected by the disease. Moreover, the mean diffusivity of the intra-axonal metabolite N-acetylaspartate, co-measured with N-acetylaspartylglutamate (tNAA), was significantly reduced in the corpus callosum of patients compared to controls. FBA and DW-MRS of tNAA provided more specific information about the biological mechanisms underlying HD and showed promise for early investigation of white matter degeneration in HD.

scholarly journals Systemic T Cell Large Granular Lymphocyte Lymphoma with Multifocal White Matter Degeneration in the Brain of a Japanese Domestic Cat

2010 ◽  
Vol 72 (6) ◽  
pp. 795-799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaya TSUBOI ◽  
Kazuyuki UCHIDA ◽  
Eun Sil PARK ◽  
Yukiko KOTERA ◽  
Takahiro SEKI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Domestic Cat ◽  
Large Granular Lymphocyte ◽  
White Matter Degeneration ◽  
The Brain

scholarly journals Establishing the functional relevancy of white matter connections in the visual system and beyond

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mareike Grotheer ◽  
Emily Kubota ◽  
Kalanit Grill-Spector
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Visual System ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Functional Organization ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Functional Relationships ◽  
Functional Regions ◽  
The Brain

AbstractFor over a century, researchers have examined the functional relevancy of white matter bundles. Consequently, many large-scale bundles spanning several centimeters have been associated in their entirety with specific brain functions, such as language or attention. However, these coarse structural–functional relationships are at odds with modern understanding of the fine-grained functional organization of human cortex, such as the mosaic of category-selective regions in ventral temporal cortex. Here, we review a multimodal approach that combines fMRI to define functional regions of interest within individual’s brains with dMRI tractography to identify the white matter bundles of the same individual. Combining these data allows to determine which subsets of streamlines within a white matter bundle connect to specific functional regions in each individual. That is, this approach identifies the functionally defined white matter sub-bundles of the brain. We argue that this approach not only enhances the accuracy of interpreting the functional relevancy of white matter bundles, but also enables segmentation of these large-scale bundles into meaningful functional units, which can then be linked to behavior with enhanced precision. Importantly, this approach has the potential for making new discoveries of the fine-grained functional relevancy of white matter connections in the visual system and the brain more broadly, akin to the flurry of research that has identified functional regions in cortex.

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