Corpus callosum integrity loss predicts cognitive impairment in Leukoaraiosis

Abstract

Objective: To investigate regional white matter fibers loss in Leukoaraiosis (LA) and its relationship with cognitive impairments. Methods: Fifty-six participants with LA and 38 healthy controls underwent clinical evaluations and MR scans. Participants with LA were classified as cognitively normal (LA-NC, n = 18), vascular cognitive impairment of none dementia (LA-VCIND, n = 24), and vascular dementia (LA-VaD, n = 14) by Mini-Mental State Examination and Clinical Dementia Rating. Cognitive domains including visual-spatial, naming, attention, language, abstraction, memory, and orientation were assessed. With the use of Tract-based spatial statistics, mean fractional anisotropy (FA) of major white matter fiber tracts were compared between LA and controls and among LA groups with varying levels of cognitive impairments. Regression analyses were performed to evaluate relationships between FA values and cognitive performance. Results: Participants showed significant FA reduction in the corpus callosum (CC), bilateral corona radiata, anterior limb of the internal capsule, external capsule, posterior thalamic radiation, and superior longitudinal fasciculus compared to controls and across LA groups. The LA-VaD group showed consistent damage in the body and genu of CC compared to the LA-NC and LA-VCIND groups. A positive correlation between visualspatial and FA reduction in right anterior corona radiates in LA-VCIND and body of CC in LA-VaD. Interpretation: We found regional fiber loss in the CC across the cognitive spectrum in patients with LA and correlations between FA and visuospatial impairment in the anterior corona radiata in patients with LA-VCIND and in the body of CC in patients with LA-VaD.

Loss of Integrity of Corpus Callosum White Matter Hyperintensity Penumbra Predicts Cognitive Decline in Patients With Subcortical Vascular Mild Cognitive Impairment

“…Consistent with previous studies (Lin et al, 2015 ; Tu et al, 2017 ; Chen et al, 2018 ; Liu et al, 2019 ; Wang et al, 2020 ), the strongest associations between abnormal DTI parameters and cognitive decline were found in the CC and corona radiata. As one of the most extensively myelinated brain regions, the CC is composed of fibers arising from large pyramidal neurons, with the anterior portion containing axons of corticocortical communicating fibers from corresponding posterior lobar regions (Matsunami et al, 1994 ; Abe et al, 2004 ).…”

“…Loss of WM tract integrity in SVCI has been observed by neuroimaging. For example, microstructural damage in the anterior corpus callosum (CC), internal and external capsules, and periventricular WM has been demonstrated in SVCI by tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS; Papma et al, 2014 ; Holland et al, 2015 ; Chen et al, 2018 ; Wang et al, 2020 ), which also revealed significant associations between microstructural changes in WM tracts underlying intra-and inter-hemispheric cerebral, thalamocortical, and cerebello-thalamic connections—including the CC and corona radiata—and cognitive performance (van der Holst et al, 2018 ; Mascalchi et al, 2019 ). An automated fiber quantification (AFQ) study found that changes in diffusion characteristics—especially in the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and right inferior longitudinal fasciculus—may be involved in WMH-related MCI (Chen et al, 2020 ).…”

Optogenetic Stimulation of mPFC Alleviates White Matter Injury‐Related Cognitive Decline after Chronic Ischemia through Adaptive Myelination

“…[ 20 ] More importantly, loss of corpus callosum integrity has been shown to be associated with cognitive decline, especially impaired executive processing, in subjects with WMI. [ 21 ] The BCAS rodent model is commonly used to mimic cognitive deficits in humans caused by cerebral hypoperfusion due to vascular diseases. [ 16 ] In this study, we found that the extent of working memory impairment was positively correlated with that of myelin loss in the corpus callosum, indicating that slowing or reversing WMI might be a promising therapeutic strategy for WMI‐related cognitive deficits.…”

Assessment of cognitive impairment after acute cerebral infarction with T1 relaxation time measured by MP2RAGE sequence and cerebral hemodynamic by transcranial Doppler

“…The thalamus plays a vital role in various cognitive processes, including attention, executive ability, and working memory. The head of the caudate nucleus is an essential component of the cognitive circuit because it links the frontal lobe, the thalamus, the limbic system, and other structures; it also receives signals from frontal and temporoparietal regions bilaterally and sends out efferent fibers to the different areas of the basal ganglia ( 40 ). We considered that acute cerebral infarction caused the aforementioned microstructural disruption in 8 brain regions intimately connected to cognitive function.…”