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Prospective Associations Between Diffusion Tensor Imaging Parameters and Frailty in Older Adults
Maltais M, de Souto Barreto P, Perus L, Mangin JF, Grigis A, Chupin M, Bouyahia A, Gabelle A et al.. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2020-01-25
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Cross-sectional associations have been found between frail individuals and worse white matter (WM) integrity. However, the prospective association between WM integrity and frailty is still unclear. Our objectives were to measure associations between WM integrity using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and the 5-year worsening of frailty in community-dwelling older adults. Design Secondary analysis of the randomized controlled Multidomain Alzheimer Preventive Trial (MAPT). Setting Thirteen memory centers in France and Monaco between 2008 and 2011. Participants Participants (mean age = 74.7 ± 3.9 years) with no dementia at baseline who had functional magnetic resonance imaging performed as part of the MAPT study (n = 227). Measurements Fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AxD), and radial diffusivity (RD) were acquired for 10 different brain regions. Frailty was assessed by the Fried frailty phenotype (score from 0 to 5, higher is worse) at up to seven time points for 5 years. Mixed effect ordinal logistic regression model was used to assess the prospective association between DTI parameters (independent variables) and frailty (dependent variable). All the analyses were adjusted for age, sex, baseline total intracranial volume, and the presence of one of the following cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, and/or hypercholesterolemia). Results A statistically significant association was found between the RD, AxD, and MD for different brain regions (anterior limb of internal capsule, external capsule, posterior corona radiata, posterior thalamic radiation, superior corona radiata, superior frontal occipital fasciculus, and superior longitudinal fasciculus) and worsening of frailty over 5 years after adjusting for multiple comparisons. Conclusions This is the first study to show that WM integrity is associated with frailty in older adults. The mechanisms related to these results require further investigation. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:1050-1055, 2020.
Key findings
- Results A statistically significant association was found between the RD, AxD, and MD for different brain regions (anterior limb of internal capsule, external capsule, posterior corona radiata, posterior thalamic radiation, superior corona radiata, superior frontal occipital fasciculus, and superior longitudinal fasciculus) and worsening of frailty over 5 years after adjusting for multiple comparisons.
- Conclusions This is the first study to show that WM integrity is associated with frailty in older adults.
- The mechanisms related to these results require further investigation.
Why it matters
This study found that worse white matter integrity on diffusion tensor imaging was associated with worsening frailty over 5 years in older adults without dementia. It is about frailty and brain imaging, not about treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer disease.
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Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Participants227
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 63/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 60 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 63 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of the American Geriatrics Society) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of the American Geriatrics Society: journal h-index 344 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2020 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 227 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 28 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 3.5 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 11 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Inserm: institution h-index 1,988 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 14 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 31981370) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 60 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 60 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 63 out of 100. |
| Total | 63 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription Unpaywall, Europe PMC and OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 10 Oct 2026), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
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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's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Maltais, M., de Souto Barreto, P., Perus, L., Mangin, J. F., Grigis, A., Chupin, M., et al. (2020). Prospective Associations Between Diffusion Tensor Imaging Parameters and Frailty in Older Adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.16343
Vancouver
Maltais M, de Souto Barreto P, Perus L, Mangin JF, Grigis A, Chupin M, et al. Prospective Associations Between Diffusion Tensor Imaging Parameters and Frailty in Older Adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2020. doi:10.1111/jgs.16343. PMID: 31981370.
BibTeX
@article{maltais2020-31981370,
author = {Maltais, M. and de Souto Barreto, P. and Perus, L. and Mangin, J. F. and Grigis, A. and Chupin, M. and Bouyahia, A. and Gabelle, A. and others},
title = {{Prospective Associations Between Diffusion Tensor Imaging Parameters and Frailty in Older Adults}},
journal = {Journal of the American Geriatrics Society},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1111/jgs.16343},
pmid = {31981370},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.16343}
}
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