Macrostructural and Microstructural White Matter Alterations Are Associated with Apathy across the Clinical Alzheimer’s Disease Spectrum
Apathy is the commonest neuropsychiatric symptom in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Previous findings suggest that apathy is caused by a communication breakdown between functional neural networks involved in motivational–affective processing. This study investigated the relationship between white matter (...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Brain Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/12/10/1383 |
| _version_ | 1797474700436176896 |
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| author | Riccardo Manca Sarah A. Jones Annalena Venneri |
| author_facet | Riccardo Manca Sarah A. Jones Annalena Venneri |
| author_sort | Riccardo Manca |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Apathy is the commonest neuropsychiatric symptom in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Previous findings suggest that apathy is caused by a communication breakdown between functional neural networks involved in motivational–affective processing. This study investigated the relationship between white matter (WM) damage and apathy in AD. Sixty-one patients with apathy (AP-PT) and 61 without apathy (NA-PT) were identified from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database and matched for cognitive status, age and education. Sixty-one cognitively unimpaired (CU) participants were also included as controls. Data on cognitive performance, cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, brain/WM hyperintensity volumes and diffusion tensor imaging indices were compared across groups. No neurocognitive differences were found between patient groups, but the AP-PT group had more severe neuropsychiatric symptoms. Compared with CU participants, only apathetic patients had deficits on the Clock Drawing Test. AP-PT had increased WM damage, both macrostructurally, i.e., larger WM hyperintensity volume, and microstructurally, i.e., increased radial/axial diffusivity and reduced fractional anisotropy in the fornix, cingulum, anterior thalamic radiations and superior longitudinal and uncinate fasciculi. AP-PT showed signs of extensive WM damage, especially in associative tracts in the frontal lobes, fornix and cingulum. Disruption in structural connectivity might affect crucial functional inter-network communication, resulting in motivational deficits and worse cognitive decline. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:34:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-467dccc95f59492fa028671c062cd010 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:34:51Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-467dccc95f59492fa028671c062cd0102023-11-23T23:14:31ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252022-10-011210138310.3390/brainsci12101383Macrostructural and Microstructural White Matter Alterations Are Associated with Apathy across the Clinical Alzheimer’s Disease SpectrumRiccardo Manca0Sarah A. Jones1Annalena Venneri2Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3BH, UKRotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust, Rotherham DN4 8QN, UKDepartment of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3BH, UKApathy is the commonest neuropsychiatric symptom in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Previous findings suggest that apathy is caused by a communication breakdown between functional neural networks involved in motivational–affective processing. This study investigated the relationship between white matter (WM) damage and apathy in AD. Sixty-one patients with apathy (AP-PT) and 61 without apathy (NA-PT) were identified from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database and matched for cognitive status, age and education. Sixty-one cognitively unimpaired (CU) participants were also included as controls. Data on cognitive performance, cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, brain/WM hyperintensity volumes and diffusion tensor imaging indices were compared across groups. No neurocognitive differences were found between patient groups, but the AP-PT group had more severe neuropsychiatric symptoms. Compared with CU participants, only apathetic patients had deficits on the Clock Drawing Test. AP-PT had increased WM damage, both macrostructurally, i.e., larger WM hyperintensity volume, and microstructurally, i.e., increased radial/axial diffusivity and reduced fractional anisotropy in the fornix, cingulum, anterior thalamic radiations and superior longitudinal and uncinate fasciculi. AP-PT showed signs of extensive WM damage, especially in associative tracts in the frontal lobes, fornix and cingulum. Disruption in structural connectivity might affect crucial functional inter-network communication, resulting in motivational deficits and worse cognitive decline.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/12/10/1383Alzheimer’s diseaseapathywhite matter |
| spellingShingle | Riccardo Manca Sarah A. Jones Annalena Venneri Macrostructural and Microstructural White Matter Alterations Are Associated with Apathy across the Clinical Alzheimer’s Disease Spectrum Brain Sciences Alzheimer’s disease apathy white matter |
| title | Macrostructural and Microstructural White Matter Alterations Are Associated with Apathy across the Clinical Alzheimer’s Disease Spectrum |
| title_full | Macrostructural and Microstructural White Matter Alterations Are Associated with Apathy across the Clinical Alzheimer’s Disease Spectrum |
| title_fullStr | Macrostructural and Microstructural White Matter Alterations Are Associated with Apathy across the Clinical Alzheimer’s Disease Spectrum |
| title_full_unstemmed | Macrostructural and Microstructural White Matter Alterations Are Associated with Apathy across the Clinical Alzheimer’s Disease Spectrum |
| title_short | Macrostructural and Microstructural White Matter Alterations Are Associated with Apathy across the Clinical Alzheimer’s Disease Spectrum |
| title_sort | macrostructural and microstructural white matter alterations are associated with apathy across the clinical alzheimer s disease spectrum |
| topic | Alzheimer’s disease apathy white matter |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/12/10/1383 |
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