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Diffusion tensor imaging analysis of aged dogs with and without canine cognitive dysfunction
Jamie Henry, Masayasu Ukai, Markos Antonakakis, Tianjian Zhou, Julie A Moreno, Agnieszka Z Burzynska, Stephanie McGrath. BMC veterinary research, 2025-10-02
Topic: Brain imaging, connectivity and assessment
DTI revealed significant differences in white matter diffusivity between CCD and cognitively healthy aged dogs. Dogs with CCD had higher MD in the thalamus compared to healthy controls (CCD: 0.00063 mm2/s, IQR 0.00062-0.00066; n = 20, Healthy: 0.00060 mm2/s, IQR 0.00060-0.00063; n = 10; p = 0.022). CADES scores positively correlated with MD in the CC (rho=0.343, p = 0.0471) and thalamus (rho=0.483, p = 0.0038), and with RD in the thalamus (rho=0.416, p = 0.0144). These results demonstrate that DTI can detect changes in white matter integrity in the canine brain in both CCD and cognitively healthy aged dogs. Our findings suggest that axonal degeneration, as reflected by increased MD and RD values, correlates with worsening cognitive impairment. These patterns align with findings reported in Alzheimer's disease and support the potential use of DTI to monitor neuropathological progression in dogs with CCD. Overall, our results highlight the utility of DTI in characterizing structural brain changes associated with CCD and reinforce the translational relevance of CCD as a model for AD. Further research is required to determine whether DTI can reliably differentiate CCD from normal aging in clinical settings.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Henry, J., Ukai, M., Antonakakis, M., Zhou, T., Moreno, J. A., Burzynska, A. Z., et al. (2025). Diffusion tensor imaging analysis of aged dogs with and without canine cognitive dysfunction. BMC veterinary research. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-025-04973-9
Vancouver
Henry J, Ukai M, Antonakakis M, Zhou T, Moreno JA, Burzynska AZ, et al. Diffusion tensor imaging analysis of aged dogs with and without canine cognitive dysfunction. BMC veterinary research. 2025. doi:10.1186/s12917-025-04973-9. PMID: 41039478.
BibTeX
@article{henry2025-41039478,
author = {Henry, Jamie and Ukai, Masayasu and Antonakakis, Markos and Zhou, Tianjian and Moreno, Julie A and Burzynska, Agnieszka Z and McGrath, Stephanie},
title = {{Diffusion tensor imaging analysis of aged dogs with and without canine cognitive dysfunction}},
journal = {BMC veterinary research},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1186/s12917-025-04973-9},
pmid = {41039478},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-025-04973-9}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- DTI revealed significant differences in white matter diffusivity between CCD and cognitively healthy aged dogs.
- Dogs with CCD had higher MD in the thalamus compared to healthy controls (CCD: 0.00063 mm2/s, IQR 0.00062-0.00066; n = 20, Healthy: 0.00060 mm2/s, IQR 0.00060-0.00063; n = 10; p = 0.022).
- CADES scores positively correlated with MD in the CC (rho=0.343, p = 0.0471) and thalamus (rho=0.483, p = 0.0038), and with RD in the thalamus (rho=0.416, p = 0.0144).
- These results demonstrate that DTI can detect changes in white matter integrity in the canine brain in both CCD and cognitively healthy aged dogs.
- Our findings suggest that axonal degeneration, as reflected by increased MD and RD values, correlates with worsening cognitive impairment.
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Study details
- Participants20
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 45/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record, multi-centre collaboration and free to read, so those were left out: it earned 25 of the 56 points we could judge it on, which is 45 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (BMC veterinary research) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 20 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Laboratory or animal study (title names “canine”) — scores zero |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41039478) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 25 / 56 | Scored on 10 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 25 of the 56 points we could judge it on is 45 out of 100. |
| Total | 45 / 100 | — |
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