Progression of White Matter Disease and Cortical Thinning Are Not Related in Older Community-Dwelling Subjects

David Alexander Dickie; Sherif Karama; Stuart J Ritchie; Simon R Cox; Eleni Sakka; Natalie A Royle; Benjamin S Aribisala; Maria Valdés Hernández; Susana Muñoz Maniega; Alison Pattie; Janie Corley; John M Starr; Mark E Bastin; Alan C Evans; Ian J Deary; Joanna M Wardlaw

doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.115.011229

Progression of White Matter Disease and Cortical Thinning Are Not Related in Older Community-Dwelling Subjects

Stroke. 2016 Feb;47(2):410-6. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.115.011229. Epub 2015 Dec 22.

Authors

David Alexander Dickie¹, Sherif Karama¹, Stuart J Ritchie¹, Simon R Cox¹, Eleni Sakka¹, Natalie A Royle¹, Benjamin S Aribisala¹, Maria Valdés Hernández¹, Susana Muñoz Maniega¹, Alison Pattie¹, Janie Corley¹, John M Starr¹, Mark E Bastin¹, Alan C Evans¹, Ian J Deary¹, Joanna M Wardlaw²

Affiliations

¹ From the Brain Research Imaging Centre (D.A.D., E.S., N.A.R., B.S.A., M.V.H., S.M.M., M.E.B., J.M.W.), Neuroimaging Sciences, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (D.A.D., E.S., N.A.R., B.S.A., M.V.H., S.M.M., M.E.B., J.M.W.), Department of Psychology (S.J.R., S.R.C., A.P., J.C., I.J.D.), and Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology (S.J.R., S.R.C., J.M.S., M.E.B., I.J.D., J.M.W.), Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre (J.M.S.), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Scottish Imaging Network, a Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration (D.A.D., E.S., N.A.R., B.S.A., M.V.H., S.M.M., M.E.B., J.M.W.); Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada (S.K., A.C.E.); and Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Verdun, QC, Canada (S.K.).
² From the Brain Research Imaging Centre (D.A.D., E.S., N.A.R., B.S.A., M.V.H., S.M.M., M.E.B., J.M.W.), Neuroimaging Sciences, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (D.A.D., E.S., N.A.R., B.S.A., M.V.H., S.M.M., M.E.B., J.M.W.), Department of Psychology (S.J.R., S.R.C., A.P., J.C., I.J.D.), and Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology (S.J.R., S.R.C., J.M.S., M.E.B., I.J.D., J.M.W.), Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre (J.M.S.), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Scottish Imaging Network, a Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration (D.A.D., E.S., N.A.R., B.S.A., M.V.H., S.M.M., M.E.B., J.M.W.); Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada (S.K., A.C.E.); and Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Verdun, QC, Canada (S.K.). joanna.wardlaw@ed.ac.uk.

Abstract

Background and purpose: We assessed cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between whole brain white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume and regional cortical thickness.

Methods: We measured WMH volume and regional cortical thickness on magnetic resonance imaging at ≈73 and ≈76 years in 351 community-dwelling subjects from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. We used multiple linear regression to calculate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between regional cortical thickness and WMH volume controlling for age, sex, Mini Mental State Examination, education, intelligence quotient at age 11, and vascular risk factors.

Results: We found cross-sectional associations between WMH volume and cortical thickness within and surrounding the Sylvian fissure at 73 and 76 years (rho=-0.276, Q=0.004). However, we found no significant longitudinal associations between (1) baseline WMH volume and change in cortical thickness; (2) baseline cortical thickness and change in WMH volume; or (3) change in WMH volume and change in cortical thickness.

Conclusions: Our results show that WMH volume and cortical thinning both worsen with age and are associated cross-sectionally within and surrounding the Sylvian fissure. However, changes in WMH volume and cortical thinning from 73 to 76 years are not associated longitudinally in these relatively healthy older subjects. The underlying cause(s) of WMH growth and cortical thinning have yet to be fully determined.

Keywords: MRI; ageing; brain; cortex; white matter hyperintensities.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Cardiovascular Diseases / epidemiology
Cerebral Cortex / pathology*
Cognition Disorders / epidemiology
Cognition Disorders / pathology*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diabetes Mellitus / epidemiology
Disease Progression
Female
Humans
Hypercholesterolemia / epidemiology
Hypertension / epidemiology
Independent Living*
Leukoencephalopathies / epidemiology
Leukoencephalopathies / pathology*
Linear Models
Longitudinal Studies
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Organ Size
Risk Factors
Scotland / epidemiology
Smoking / epidemiology
White Matter / pathology*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding