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P1‐083: Interrelation between gray and white matter alterations in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia
Author(s) -
Zhang Yu,
Schuff Norbert,
Ching Christopher,
Tosun Duygu,
Nezamzadeh Marzieh,
Zhan Wang,
Rosen Howard J.,
Kramer Joel H.,
GornoTempini Maria Luisa,
Miller Bruce L.,
Weiner Michael W.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2009.04.087
Subject(s) - white matter , frontotemporal dementia , atrophy , dementia , psychology , diffusion mri , pathology , neuroscience , medicine , cardiology , magnetic resonance imaging , audiology , disease , radiology
Background: Many MRI studies reported characteristic gray matter (GM) structural and functional changes, as well as white matter (WM) alterations, in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and in frontotemporal dementia (FTD). However little is known how the gray and white matter changes are interrelated and whether the interrelation differs among different types of dementia. Toward this goal, we performed initial analyses comparing regional GM atrophy, GM perfusion, and WM degradation in FTD and AD relative to normal controls. Methods: 20 FTD patients (age1⁄460.769.9yo; MMSE1⁄423.165.6), 21 AD patients (age1⁄462.767.0yo; MMSE1⁄422.065.5) and 21 age-matched control subjects (CN, age1⁄460.969.6yo; MMSE1⁄429.660.5) were imaged using a 4Tesla MRI system. GM atrophy was measured with high-resolution MRI, GM perfusion was measured using arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI and WM degradation was measured using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Results: 1) AD vs. CN: AD was associated with a) diffuse GM volume loss bilaterally in parietal and temporal regions; b) prominent hypoperfusion in bilateral parietal and superior temporal regions; c) significantly lower FA values in parietal, frontal and temporal WM regions. 2) FTD vs. CN: FTD was associated with a) GM loss predominantly in bilateral frontal and temporal regions, the loss also extended to parietal lobes; b) prominent hypoperfusion in bilateral frontal, temporal and parietal regions; c) significant FA reduction in vast frontal and temporal and parietal periventricular regions. 3) Extent of GM and WM involvement: In AD patients, the amount of abnormal WM regions was approximately equal to the amount of GM volume loss. However, in FTD patients, the amount of WM involvement was greater than GM volume loss. 4) Relations between frontal WM FA and brain volume: the FA reduction in anterior callosal region was significantly correlated with GM atrophy in frontal lobes in FTD group, but not in AD or CN group. Conclusions: The findings suggest that FTD and AD are each associated with a characteristic pattern of gray and white matter alterations. In particular, FTD has substantially more WM abnormalities relative to GM than AD. Assessment of the interrelation between gray and white matter alterations may have value as imaging markers of FTD and AD.