Influence of mild cognitive impairment and body mass index on white matter integrity assessed by diffusion tensor imaging

Emma M Tinney; Psyche Loui; Lauren B Raine; Lucy V Hiscox; Peyton L Delgorio; Mary K Kramer; Hillary Schwarb; Christopher R Martens; Arthur F Kramer; Charles H Hillman; Curtis L Johnson

doi:10.1111/psyp.14306

Influence of mild cognitive impairment and body mass index on white matter integrity assessed by diffusion tensor imaging

Psychophysiology. 2023 Sep;60(9):e14306. doi: 10.1111/psyp.14306. Epub 2023 Apr 10.

Authors

Emma M Tinney^{1

2}, Psyche Loui^{1

2}, Lauren B Raine^{2

3

4}, Lucy V Hiscox⁵, Peyton L Delgorio⁵, Mary K Kramer⁵, Hillary Schwarb⁶, Christopher R Martens⁷, Arthur F Kramer^{1

6}, Charles H Hillman^{1

2

3}, Curtis L Johnson⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
² Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
³ Department of Physical Therapy Movement Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
⁴ Department of Medicinal Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
⁵ Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA.
⁶ Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA.
⁷ Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA.

PMID: 37038273
PMCID: PMC10524314 (available on 2024-09-01)
DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14306

Abstract

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease, is characterized by decreased memory and cognition, which are linked to degenerative changes in the brain. To assess whether white matter (WM) integrity is compromised in MCI, we collected diffusion-weighted images from 60 healthy older adults (OA) (69.16 ± 0.7) and 20 older adults with amnestic MCI (72.45 ± 1.9). WM integrity differences were examined using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS). We hypothesized that those with MCI would have diminished WM integrity relative to OA. In a whole-brain comparison, those with MCI showed higher axial diffusivity in the splenium (SCC) and body of the corpus callosum (BCC), superior corona radiata (SCR), and the retrolenticular part of the internal capsule (RLIC) (p's < .05 TFCE-corrected). Additionally, significant between-group connectivity differences were observed using probabilistic tractography between the SCC, chosen from the TBSS results, and forceps major and minor (p-value's < .05). To further relate a physical health indicator to WM alterations, linear regression showed significant interactions between cognitive status and body mass index (BMI) on diffusivity outcome measures from probabilistic tractography (p-value-'s < .05). Additionally, we examined the association between relational memory, BMI, and WM integrity. WM integrity was positively associated with relational memory performance. These findings suggest that these regions may be more sensitive to early markers of neurodegenerative disease and health behaviors, suggesting that modifiable lifestyle factors may affect white matter integrity.

Keywords: aging; body mass index; diffusion tensor imaging; mild cognitive impairment; relational memory; white matter integrity.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Aged
Body Mass Index
Cognitive Dysfunction* / diagnostic imaging
Diffusion Tensor Imaging / methods
Humans
Neurodegenerative Diseases*
Neuropsychological Tests
White Matter* / diagnostic imaging

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding