Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, The University Hospital Brno and Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
Department of Biophysics, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
Eur Radiol. 2019 Dec;29(12):7027-7036. doi: 10.1007/s00330-019-06268-8. Epub 2019 May 29.
Although white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are quite commonly found incidentally, their aetiology, structural characteristics, and functional consequences are not entirely known. The purpose of this study was to quantify WMHs in a sample of young, neurologically asymptomatic adults and evaluate the structural and functional correlations of lesion load with changes in brain volume, diffusivity, and functional connectivity.
MRI brain scan using multimodal protocol was performed in 60 neurologically asymptomatic volunteers (21 men, 39 women, mean age 34.5 years). WMHs were manually segmented in 3D FLAIR images and counted automatically. The number and volume of WMHs were correlated with brain volume, resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data. Diffusion parameters measured within WMHs and normally appearing white matter (NAWM) were compared.
At least 1 lesion was found in 40 (67%) subjects, median incidence was 1 lesion (interquartile range [IQR] = 4.5), and median volume was 86.82 (IQR = 227.23) mm. Neither number nor volume of WMHs correlated significantly with total brain volume or volumes of white and grey matter. Mean diffusivity values within WMHs were significantly higher compared with those for NAWM, but none of the diffusion parameters of NAWM were significantly correlated with WMH load. Both the number and volume of WMHs were correlated with the changes of functional connectivity between several regions of the brain, mostly decreased connectivity of the cerebellum.
WMHs are commonly found even in young, neurologically asymptomatic adults. Their presence is not associated with brain atrophy or global changes of diffusivity, but the increasing number and volume of these lesions correlate with changes of brain connectivity, and especially that of the cerebellum.
• White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are commonly found in young, neurologically asymptomatic adults. • The presence of WMHs is not associated with brain atrophy or global changes of white matter diffusivity. • The increasing number and volume of WMHs correlate with changes of brain connectivity, and especially with that of the cerebellum.
尽管脑白质高信号（WMHs）在偶然情况下很常见，但它们的病因、结构特征和功能后果并不完全清楚。本研究的目的是在一组年轻、无神经系统症状的成年人中定量分析 WMH，并评估病变负荷与脑体积、弥散性和功能连接变化的结构和功能相关性。
对 60 名无神经系统症状的志愿者（21 名男性，39 名女性，平均年龄 34.5 岁）进行了使用多模态方案的 MRI 脑扫描。在 3D FLAIR 图像中手动分割 WMH 并自动计数。WMHs 的数量和体积与脑体积、静息状态功能磁共振成像（rs-fMRI）和弥散张量成像（DTI）数据相关联。比较了在 WMH 内和正常表现的白质（NAWM）内测量的扩散参数。
在 40 名（67%）受试者中至少发现 1 个病灶，中位数发生率为 1 个病灶（四分位间距 [IQR] = 4.5），中位数体积为 86.82（IQR = 227.23）mm。WMHs 的数量和体积与总脑体积或白质和灰质体积均无显著相关性。WMHs 内的平均弥散值明显高于 NAWM，但 NAWM 的任何扩散参数与 WMH 负荷均无显著相关性。WMHs 的数量和体积均与脑内多个区域的功能连接变化相关，主要是小脑连接的减少。
WMHs 在年轻、无神经系统症状的成年人中也很常见。它们的存在与脑萎缩或弥散性全局变化无关，但这些病变数量和体积的增加与脑连接变化相关，尤其是与小脑连接变化相关。
WMHs 在年轻、无神经系统症状的成年人中很常见。
WMHs 的存在与脑萎缩或白质弥散全局变化无关。
WMH 数量和体积的增加与脑连接变化相关，尤其是与小脑连接变化相关。
