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Berger M, Pirpamer L, Hofer E, Ropele S, Duering M, Gesierich B, Pasternak O, Enzinger C, Schmidt R, Koini M. Free water diffusion MRI and executive function with a speed component in healthy aging. Neuroimage 2022; 257:119303. [PMID: 35568345 PMCID: PMC9465649 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular free water (FW) increases are suggested to better provide pathophysiological information in brain aging than conventional biomarkers such as fractional anisotropy. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between conventional biomarkers, FW in white matter hyperintensities (WMH), FW in normal appearing white matter (NAWM) and in white matter tracts and executive functions (EF) with a speed component in elderly persons. We examined 226 healthy elderly participants (median age 69.83 years, IQR: 56.99–74.42) who underwent brain MRI and neuropsychological examination. FW in WMH and in NAWM as well as FW corrected diffusion metrics and measures derived from conventional MRI (white matter hyperintensities, brain volume, lacunes) were used in partial correlation (adjusted for age) to assess their correlation with EF with a speed component. Random forest analysis was used to assess the relative importance of these variables as determinants. Lastly, linear regression analyses of FW in white matter tracts corrected for risk factors of cognitive and white matter deterioration, were used to examine the role of specific tracts on EF with a speed component, which were then ranked with random forest regression. Partial correlation analyses revealed that almost all imaging metrics showed a significant association with EF with a speed component (r = −0.213 – 0.266). Random forest regression highlighted FW in WMH and in NAWM as most important among all diffusion and structural MRI metrics. The fornix (R2=0.421, p = 0.018) and the corpus callosum (genu (R2 = 0.418, p = 0.021), prefrontal (R2 = 0.416, p = 0.026), premotor (R2 = 0.418, p = 0.021)) were associated with EF with a speed component in tract based regression analyses and had highest variables importance. In a normal aging population FW in WMH and NAWM is more closely related to EF with a speed component than standard DTI and brain structural measures. Higher amounts of FW in the fornix and the frontal part of the corpus callosum leads to deteriorating EF with a speed component.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Berger
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 22, Graz 8036, Austria
| | - Lukas Pirpamer
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 22, Graz 8036, Austria
| | - Edith Hofer
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 22, Graz 8036, Austria; Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Documentation, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Stefan Ropele
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 22, Graz 8036, Austria
| | - Marco Duering
- Medical Image Analysis Center (MIAC AG) and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Benno Gesierich
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), University Hospital, Munich, Germany
| | - Ofer Pasternak
- Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Reinhold Schmidt
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 22, Graz 8036, Austria.
| | - Marisa Koini
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 22, Graz 8036, Austria
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