Faculty Collaboration Database

Effects of the coexistence of late-life depression and mild cognitive impairment on white matter microstructure. J Neurol Sci 2014 Mar 15;338(1-2):46-56

Date

01/07/2014

Pubmed ID

24387897

Pubmed Central ID

PMC4428544

DOI

10.1016/j.jns.2013.12.016

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84896714136 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   35 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Late-life depression (LLD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) are associated with white matter (WM) disruptions of the fronto-limbic and interhemispheric tracts implicated in mood regulation and episodic memory functions. This work investigates the extent of these WM abnormalities in patients LLD and aMCI when these diseases occur alone and when they coexist.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-four subjects separated into cognitively normal (n=33), LLD (n=20), aMCI (n=18), and comorbid aMCI and LLD (n=13) completed Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) scans. Tract-based spatial statistics was employed to skeletonize multiple DTI indices of the cingulum, corpus callosum, fornix and uncinate fasciculus. Analysis of covariance and post-hoc tests compared group differences. Multiple linear regressions were performed between DTI and behavioral measures for the whole sample and within individual patient groups.

RESULTS: Divergent microstructural disruptions were identified in LLD- and aMCI-only groups, whereas the comorbid group showed widespread abnormalities especially in the hippocampal cingulum and fornix tracts. The LLD groups also showed significant disruptions in the uncinate fasciculus and corpus callosal tracts. Higher depressive symptom and lower episodic memory scores were associated with increased diffusivity measures in the fornix and hippocampal cingulum across all subjects.

CONCLUSIONS: Widespread WM microstructural disruptions are present when LLD and aMCI are comorbid -especially in the medial temporal lobe tracts. These WM disruptions may be a marker of disease severity. Also, multiple DTI parameters should be used when evaluating the WM fiber integrity in LLD and aMCI.

Author List

Li W, Muftuler LT, Chen G, Ward BD, Budde MD, Jones JL, Franczak MB, Antuono PG, Li SJ, Goveas JS

Authors

Piero G. Antuono MD Professor in the Neurology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Matthew Budde PhD Associate Professor in the Neurosurgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Malgorzata Franczak MD Professor in the Neurology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Joseph S. Goveas MD Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Lutfi Tugan Muftuler PhD Professor in the Neurosurgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Analysis of Variance
Anisotropy
Brain
Cognitive Dysfunction
Depression
Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Female
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Leukoencephalopathies
Male
Middle Aged
Nerve Fibers, Myelinated
Neuropsychological Tests
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales