Research Article

White matter tract integrity in aging and Alzheimer's disease

  1. Jessica S. Damoiseaux1,*,
  2. Stephen M. Smith2,
  3. Menno P. Witter3,
  4. Ernesto J. Sanz-Arigita4,
  5. Frederik Barkhof4,
  6. Philip Scheltens1,
  7. Cornelis J. Stam5,
  8. Mojtaba Zarei2,
  9. Serge A.R.B. Rombouts6,7

Article first published online: 15 APR 2008

DOI: 10.1002/hbm.20563

Issue

Human Brain Mapping

Human Brain Mapping

Volume 30, Issue 4, pages 1051–1059, April 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Damoiseaux, J. S., Smith, S. M., Witter, M. P., Sanz-Arigita, E. J., Barkhof, F., Scheltens, P., Stam, C. J., Zarei, M. and Rombouts, S. A.R.B. (2009), White matter tract integrity in aging and Alzheimer's disease. Hum. Brain Mapp., 30: 1051–1059. doi: 10.1002/hbm.20563

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Neurology, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands

  2. 2

    Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain (FMRIB), University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom

  3. 3

    Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands

  4. 4

    Department of Radiology, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands

  5. 5

    Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands

  6. 6

    Department of Physics and Medical Technology, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands

  7. 7

    Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University-Institute for Psychological Research, postzone C2-S, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands

*VU University Medical Center, Department of Neurology, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 9 MAR 2009
  2. Article first published online: 15 APR 2008
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 19 FEB 2008
  4. Manuscript Revised: 18 JAN 2008
  5. Manuscript Received: 4 DEC 2007

Funded by

  • Institute for the Study of Aging. Grant Number: 231002
  • The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. Grant Number: 916.36.117

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Keywords:

  • aging;
  • Alzheimer's disease;
  • DTI;
  • white matter;
  • connectivity

Abstract

The pattern of degenerative changes in the brain white matter (WM) in aging, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been under debate. Methods of image analysis are an important factor affecting the outcomes of various studies. Here we used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to obtain fractional anisotropy (FA) measures of the WM in healthy young (n = 8), healthy elderly (n = 22), MCI (n = 8), and AD patients (n = 16). We then applied “tract-based spatial statistics” (TBSS) to study the effects of aging, MCI, and AD on WM integrity. Our results show that changes in WM integrity (that is, decreases in FA) are different between healthy aging and AD: in healthy older subjects compared with healthy young subjects decreased FA was primarily observed in frontal, parietal, and subcortical areas whereas in AD, compared with healthy older subjects, decreased FA was only observed in the left anterior temporal lobe. This different pattern of decreased anatomical connectivity in normal aging and AD suggests that AD is not merely accelerated aging. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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