Patterns of age-related water diffusion changes in human brain by concordance and discordance analysis

NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING

卷:31

Article

Zhang, Yu^1,2  Du, An-Tao¹  Hayasaka, Satoru³  Jahng, Geon-ho⁴  Hlavin, Jennifer¹  Zhan, Wang^1,2  Weiner, Michael W.^1,2  Schuff, Norbert^1,2 

[1] VA Med Ctr, CIND, San Francisco, CA 94121 USA

[2] Univ Calif San Francisco, Dept Radiol, San Francisco, CA 94143 USA

[3] Wake Forest Univ Hlth Sci, Dept Radiol, Winston Salem, NC USA

[4] Kyung Hee Univ, EW Neo Med Ctr, Dept Radiol, Seoul, South Korea

关键词: Diffusion tensor imaging;    Aging;    Non-parametric analysis;    Concordance;    Discordance;    Fractional anisotropy;    Mean diffusivity;    Axial diffusivity;    Radial diffusivity;    Demyelination;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2008.10.009

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

In diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), interpreting changes in terms of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity or axial (D-parallel to) and radial (D-perpendicular to) diffusivity can be ambiguous. The main objective of this study was to gain insight into the heterogeneity of age-related diffusion changes in human brain white matter by analyzing relationships between the diffusion measures in terms of concordance and discordance instead of evaluating them separately, which is difficult to interpret. Fifty-one cognitively normal subjects (22-79 years old) were studied with DTI at 4 Tesla. Age was associated with widespread concordant changes of decreased FA and increased MD but in some regions significant FA reductions occurred discordant to MD changes. Prominent age-related FA reductions were primarily related to greater radial (D-perpendicular to) than axial (D-parallel to) diffusivity changes, potentially reflecting processes of demyelination. In conclusion, concordant/discordant changes of DTI indices provide additional characterization of white matter alterations that accompany normal aging. Published by Elsevier Inc.

【 授权许可】

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