Bergamino Maurizio, McElvogue Molly M, Stokes Ashley M
Barrow Neuroimaging Innovation Center, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ 85013, USA.
NeuroSci. 2025 Jan 18;6(1):8. doi: 10.3390/neurosci6010008.
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a transitional stage between normal aging and Alzheimer's disease. Differentiating early MCI (EMCI) from late MCI (LMCI) is crucial for early diagnosis and intervention. This study used free-water diffusion tensor imaging (fw-DTI) to investigate white matter differences and voxel-based correlations with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. Data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative included 476 healthy controls (CN), 137 EMCI participants, and 62 LMCI participants. Significant MMSE differences were found between the CN and MCI groups, but not between EMCI and LMCI. However, distinct white matter changes were observed: LMCI showed a higher f-index and lower fw-fractional anisotropy (fw-FA) compared to EMCI in several white matter regions. These findings indicate specific white matter tracts involved in MCI progression. Voxel-based correlations between fw-DTI metrics and MMSE scores further supported these results. In conclusion, this study provides crucial insights into white matter changes associated with EMCI and LMCI, offering significant implications for future research and clinical practice.
轻度认知障碍（MCI）是正常衰老与阿尔茨海默病之间的过渡阶段。区分早期MCI（EMCI）和晚期MCI（LMCI）对于早期诊断和干预至关重要。本研究使用自由水扩散张量成像（fw-DTI）来研究白质差异以及基于体素的与简易精神状态检查表（MMSE）评分的相关性。来自阿尔茨海默病神经影像倡议的数据包括476名健康对照者（CN）、137名EMCI参与者和62名LMCI参与者。在CN组和MCI组之间发现了显著的MMSE差异，但在EMCI和LMCI之间未发现。然而，观察到了明显的白质变化：在几个白质区域，与EMCI相比，LMCI显示出更高的f指数和更低的自由水分数各向异性（fw-FA）。这些发现表明了参与MCI进展的特定白质束。fw-DTI指标与MMSE评分之间基于体素的相关性进一步支持了这些结果。总之，本研究为与EMCI和LMCI相关的白质变化提供了关键见解，对未来研究和临床实践具有重要意义。
