Marco Pasi1, Emilia Salvadori1, Anna Poggesi1, Laura Ciolli1, Alessandra Del Bene1, Sandro Marini1, Serena Nannucci1, Francesca Pescini1, Raffaella Valenti1, Andrea Ginestroni1, Nicola Toschi1, Stefano Diciotti1, Mario Mascalchi1, Domenico Inzitari1, Leonardo Pantoni2. 1. From the Department of NEUROFARBA, Neuroscience Section, University of Florence, Italy (M.P., E.S., A.P., L.C., A.D.B., S.M., S.N., F.P., R.V., D.I.); "Mario Serio" Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Italy (A.G., M.M.); Medical Physics Section, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Italy (N.T.); Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering "Guglielmo Marconi", University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy (S.D.); and Stroke Unit and Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy (L.P.). 2. From the Department of NEUROFARBA, Neuroscience Section, University of Florence, Italy (M.P., E.S., A.P., L.C., A.D.B., S.M., S.N., F.P., R.V., D.I.); "Mario Serio" Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Italy (A.G., M.M.); Medical Physics Section, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Italy (N.T.); Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering "Guglielmo Marconi", University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy (S.D.); and Stroke Unit and Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy (L.P.). pantoni@unifi.it.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) has been proposed as a screening tool in vascular cognitive impairment. Diffusion tensor imaging is sensitive to white matter microstructural damage. We investigated if diffusion tensor imaging-derived indices are more strongly associated with performances on MoCA or on the widely used mini mental state examination in patients with mild cognitive impairment and small vessel disease. METHODS: Mild cognitive impairment patients with moderate/severe degrees of white matter hyperintensities on MRI were enrolled. Lacunar infarcts, cortical atrophy, medial temporal lobe atrophy and median values of mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy of the cerebral white matter were studied and correlated with cognitive tests performances. RESULTS: Seventy-six patients (mean age 75.1±6.8 years, mean years of education 8.0±4.3) were assessed. In univariate analyses, a significant association of both MoCA and mini mental state examination scores with age, education, cortical atrophy, and medial temporal lobe atrophy was found, whereas mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy were associated with MoCA. In partial correlation analyses, adjusting for all demographic and neuroimaging variables, both mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy were associated only with MoCA (mean diffusivity: r= -0.275, P=0.023; fractional anisotropy: r=0.246, P=0.043). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with mild cognitive impairment and small vessel disease, diffusion tensor imaging-measured white matter microstructural damage is more related to MoCA than mini mental state examination performances. MoCA is suited for the cognitive screening of patients with small vessel disease.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) has been proposed as a screening tool in vascular cognitive impairment. Diffusion tensor imaging is sensitive to white matter microstructural damage. We investigated if diffusion tensor imaging-derived indices are more strongly associated with performances on MoCA or on the widely used mini mental state examination in patients with mild cognitive impairment and small vessel disease. METHODS: Mild cognitive impairmentpatients with moderate/severe degrees of white matter hyperintensities on MRI were enrolled. Lacunar infarcts, cortical atrophy, medial temporal lobe atrophy and median values of mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy of the cerebral white matter were studied and correlated with cognitive tests performances. RESULTS: Seventy-six patients (mean age 75.1±6.8 years, mean years of education 8.0±4.3) were assessed. In univariate analyses, a significant association of both MoCA and mini mental state examination scores with age, education, cortical atrophy, and medial temporal lobe atrophy was found, whereas mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy were associated with MoCA. In partial correlation analyses, adjusting for all demographic and neuroimaging variables, both mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy were associated only with MoCA (mean diffusivity: r= -0.275, P=0.023; fractional anisotropy: r=0.246, P=0.043). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with mild cognitive impairment and small vessel disease, diffusion tensor imaging-measured white matter microstructural damage is more related to MoCA than mini mental state examination performances. MoCA is suited for the cognitive screening of patients with small vessel disease.
Authors: Anil M Tuladhar; Anouk G W van Norden; Karlijn F de Laat; Marcel P Zwiers; Ewoud J van Dijk; David G Norris; Frank-Erik de Leeuw Journal: Neuroimage Clin Date: 2015-02-16 Impact factor: 4.881
Authors: Iain D Croall; Valerie Lohner; Barry Moynihan; Usman Khan; Ahamad Hassan; John T O'Brien; Robin G Morris; Daniel J Tozer; Victoria C Cambridge; Kirsty Harkness; David J Werring; Andrew M Blamire; Gary A Ford; Thomas R Barrick; Hugh S Markus Journal: Clin Sci (Lond) Date: 2017-06-07 Impact factor: 6.124