Home › Research › Brain scans and imaging
White matter microstructural integrity and cognitive function in a general elderly population
Vernooij MW, Ikram MA, Vrooman HA, Wielopolski PA, Krestin GP, Hofman A, Niessen WJ, Van der Lugt A et al.. Archives of general psychiatry, 2009-05-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Context The role of macrostructural white matter changes, such as atrophy and white matter lesions, in cognitive decline is increasingly being recognized. However, in the elderly population, these macrostructural changes do not account for all variability in cognition. Measures reflecting white matter microstructural integrity may provide additional information to investigate the relation between white matter changes and cognition. Objective To study the relation between white matter integrity and cognition in the general elderly population, using diffusion tensor imaging and taking into account macrostructural white matter changes. Design Cross-sectional population-based study. Setting A general community in the Netherlands. Participants A population-based sample of 860 persons, older than 60 years, free of dementia. We performed multisequence magnetic resonance imaging, which included diffusion tensor imaging, and extensive neuropsychological testing. Fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, and directional diffusivities were measured globally in white matter lesions and normal-appearing white matter. Main outcome measures Performance on neuropsychological tests in the following cognitive domains: memory, executive function, information processing speed, global cognition, and motor speed. Results Regardless of macrostructural white matter changes, a higher mean diffusivity or higher axial and radial diffusivities within white matter lesions or normal-appearing white matter were related to worse performance on tasks assessing information processing speed and global cognition. In addition, diffusivity within white matter lesions related to memory, while in normal-appearing white matter, it furthermore related to executive function. Lower mean fractional anisotropy in white matter lesions or normal-appearing white matter related to worse information processing speed and motor speed. Conclusions Microstructural integrity of both white matter lesions and normal-appearing white matter is associated with cognitive function, regardless of white matter atrophy and white matter lesion volume. This suggests that measuring white matter integrity has added value beyond macrostructural assessment of white matter changes to study the relation between white matter and cognition.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Vernooij, M. W., Ikram, M. A., Vrooman, H. A., Wielopolski, P. A., Krestin, G. P., Hofman, A., et al. (2009). White matter microstructural integrity and cognitive function in a general elderly population. Archives of general psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.5
Vancouver
Vernooij MW, Ikram MA, Vrooman HA, Wielopolski PA, Krestin GP, Hofman A, et al. White matter microstructural integrity and cognitive function in a general elderly population. Archives of general psychiatry. 2009. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.5. PMID: 19414714.
BibTeX
@article{vernooij2009-19414714,
author = {Vernooij, M. W. and Ikram, M. A. and Vrooman, H. A. and Wielopolski, P. A. and Krestin, G. P. and Hofman, A. and Niessen, W. J. and Van der Lugt, A. and others},
title = {{White matter microstructural integrity and cognitive function in a general elderly population}},
journal = {Archives of general psychiatry},
year = {2009},
doi = {10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.5},
pmid = {19414714},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.5}
}
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.
Key findings
- Results Regardless of macrostructural white matter changes, a higher mean diffusivity or higher axial and radial diffusivities within white matter lesions or normal-appearing white matter were related to worse performance on tasks assessing information processing speed and global cognition.
- Conclusions Microstructural integrity of both white matter lesions and normal-appearing white matter is associated with cognitive function, regardless of white matter atrophy and white matter lesion volume.
- This suggests that measuring white matter integrity has added value beyond macrostructural assessment of white matter changes to study the relation between white matter and cognition.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Brain scans & tests →
Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Participants860
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 52/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for 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 and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 30 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 52 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Archives of general psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| 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 | 1 / 5 | 2009 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 860 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 | 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 19414714) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 30 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 30 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 52 out of 100. |
| Total | 52 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Free copy unknown: no free-copy check has an answer for this record yet. That does not mean it is paywalled.
Related studies in Brain scans and imaging
Also tagged “general”
2 studies in the library carry the topic tag “general”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 2 tagged studies.