White Matter Correlates of Cognitive Performance on the UCSF Brain Health Assessment

Andrea G. Alioto*: Affiliation:
Alzheimer’s Disease Center- East Bay, University of California, Davis, CA 94598, USA
Paige Mumford: Affiliation:
London Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1E6BT, UK
Amy Wolf: Affiliation:
Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
Kaitlin B. Casaletto: Affiliation:
Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
Sabrina Erlhoff: Affiliation:
Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
Tacie Moskowitz: Affiliation:
Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
Joel H. Kramer: Affiliation:
Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
Katherine P. Rankin: Affiliation:
Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
Katherine L. Possin: Affiliation:
Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
*: Correspondence and reprint requests to: Andrea G. Alioto, Alzheimer’s Disease Center- East Bay, University of California, Davis 100 N. Wiget Lane, Suite 150, Walnut Creek, CA 94598. E-mail: agalioto@ucdavis.edu

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Abstract

Objective: White matter (WM) microstructural changes are increasingly recognized as a mechanism of age-related cognitive differences. This study examined the associations between patterns of WM microstructure and cognitive performance on the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Brain Health Assessment (BHA) subtests of memory (Favorites), executive functions and speed (Match), and visuospatial skills (Line Orientation) within a sample of older adults. Method: Fractional anisotropy (FA) in WM tracts and BHA performance were examined in 84 older adults diagnosed as neurologically healthy (47), with mild cognitive impairment (19), or with dementia (18). The relationships between FA and subtest performances were evaluated using regression analyses. We then explored whether regional WM predicted performance after accounting for variance explained by global FA. Results: Memory performance was associated with FA of the fornix and the superior cerebellar peduncle; and executive functions and speed, with the body of the corpus callosum. The fornix–memory association and the corpus callosum–executive association remained significant after accounting for global FA. Neither tract-based nor global FA was associated with visuospatial performance. Conclusions: Memory and executive functions are associated with different patterns of WM diffusivity. Findings add insight into WM alterations underlying age- and disease-related cognitive decline.

Keywords

White matter microstructure Diffusion tensor imaging Cognition Brief assessment Mild cognitive impairment Dementia

Type: Brief Communication
Information: Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 25 , Issue 6 , July 2019 , pp. 654 - 658

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1355617719000225[Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © INS. Published by Cambridge University Press, 2019.

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References

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