Differential effects of white matter hyperintensities and regional amyloid deposition on regional cortical thickness

Chin Hong Tan; Justin Chew; Liwen Zhang; Balázs Gulyás; Christopher Chen; Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.03.013

Differential effects of white matter hyperintensities and regional amyloid deposition on regional cortical thickness

Neurobiol Aging. 2022 Jul:115:12-19. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.03.013. Epub 2022 Mar 26.

Authors

Chin Hong Tan¹, Justin Chew², Liwen Zhang³, Balázs Gulyás⁴, Christopher Chen⁵; Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

Affiliations

¹ Division of Psychology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Electronic address: chinhong.tan@ntu.edu.sg.
² Department of Geriatric Medicine, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore; Institute of Geriatrics and Active Ageing, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore.
³ Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
⁴ Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
⁵ Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Memory Aging and Cognition Centre, National University Health System, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.

PMID: 35453034
DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.03.013

Abstract

White matter hyperintensities (WMH) and β-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation have both been linked to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the independent effects of global WMH and regional Aβ on the corresponding regional cortical thickness have not been investigated. Here, we evaluated 280 cognitively normal (CN), 450 mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 63 individuals with AD dementia separately. In CN individuals, only WMH was associated with lower cortical thickness in fronto-temporal regions, independent of regional Aβ deposition in the corresponding cortical regions. In MCI individuals, the spatial pattern of independent WMH associations was predominantly in temporal and cingulate regions, while independent regional Aβ associations were now evident in temporal regions. No regional interactions were found. In non-demented individuals and MCI individuals alone, we found that global WMH, composite regional Aβ burden and cortical thickness in AD-associated regions all independently predicted progression to AD dementia. Our findings suggest that the independent effects of global WMH and regional Aβ on regional cortical thickness are spatially different, converging in temporal regions in MCI individuals.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease (AD); Amyloid; Cerebral cortical thinning; White matter hyperintensities (WMH); cerebrovascular disease.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Alzheimer Disease* / diagnostic imaging
Amyloid beta-Peptides / metabolism
Cognitive Dysfunction* / diagnostic imaging
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
White Matter* / diagnostic imaging
White Matter* / metabolism

Substances

Amyloid beta-Peptides

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding