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Small vessel disease is linked to disrupted structural network covariance in Alzheimer's disease
Author(s) -
Nestor Sean M.,
Mišić Bratislav,
Ramirez Joel,
Zhao Jiali,
Graham Simon J.,
Verhoeff Nicolaas P.L.G.,
Stuss Donald T.,
Masellis Mario,
Black Sandra E.
Publication year - 2017
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.2016.12.007
Subject(s) - white matter , neuroscience , disease , covariance , posterior cingulate , psychology , medicine , pathology , cortex (anatomy) , magnetic resonance imaging , mathematics , statistics , radiology
Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is thought to contribute to Alzheimer's disease (AD) through abnormalities in white matter networks. Gray matter (GM) hub covariance networks share only partial overlap with white matter connectivity, and their relationship with SVD has not been examined in AD. Methods We developed a multivariate analytical pipeline to elucidate the cortical GM thickness systems that covary with major network hubs and assessed whether SVD and neurodegenerative pathologic markers were associated with attenuated covariance network integrity in mild AD and normal elderly control subjects. Results SVD burden was associated with reduced posterior cingulate corticocortical GM network integrity and subneocorticocortical hub network integrity in AD. Discussion These findings provide evidence that SVD is linked to the selective disruption of cortical hub GM networks in AD brains and point to the need to consider GM hub covariance networks when assessing network disruption in mixed disease.