Alterations in White Matter Fiber Tracts Characterized by Automated Fiber-Tract Quantification and Their Correlations With Cognitive Impairment in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Patients
ObjectivesTo investigate whether patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) have tract-specific alterations in the white matter (WM) and the correlations between the alterations and cognitive impairment.Materials and MethodsIn total, 40 patients with NMOSD and 20 healthy controls (...
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| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2022.904309/full |
| _version_ | 1811318802580766720 |
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| author | Zichun Yan Xiaohua Wang Qiyuan Zhu Zhuowei Shi Xiaoya Chen Yongliang Han Qiao Zheng Yiqiu Wei Jingjie Wang Yongmei Li |
| author_facet | Zichun Yan Xiaohua Wang Qiyuan Zhu Zhuowei Shi Xiaoya Chen Yongliang Han Qiao Zheng Yiqiu Wei Jingjie Wang Yongmei Li |
| author_sort | Zichun Yan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ObjectivesTo investigate whether patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) have tract-specific alterations in the white matter (WM) and the correlations between the alterations and cognitive impairment.Materials and MethodsIn total, 40 patients with NMOSD and 20 healthy controls (HCs) who underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scan and neuropsychological scale assessments were enrolled. Automated fiber-tract quantification (AFQ) was applied to identify and quantify 100 equally spaced nodes of 18 specific WM fiber tracts for each participant. Then the group comparisons in DTI metrics and correlations between different DTI metrics and neuropsychological scales were performed.ResultsRegardless of the entire or pointwise level in WM fiber tracts, patients with NMOSD exhibited a decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the left inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (L_IFOF) and widespread increased mean diffusion (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD), especially for the thalamic radiation (TR), corticospinal tract (CST), IFOF, inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) [p < 0.05, false discovery rate (FDR) correction], and the pointwise analyses performed more sensitive. Furthermore, the negative correlations among MD, AD, RD, and symbol digit modalities test (SDMT) scores in the left TR (L_TR) were found in NMOSD.ConclusionPatients with NMOSD exhibited the specific nodes of WM fiber tract damage, which can enhance our understanding of WM microstructural abnormalities in NMOSD. In addition, the altered DTI metrics were correlated with cognitive impairment, which can be used as imaging markers for the early identification of NMOSD cognitive impairment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:30:39Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-453X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:30:39Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-74e03a50013a4e72b85ffcee18d283302022-12-22T02:46:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroscience1662-453X2022-07-011610.3389/fnins.2022.904309904309Alterations in White Matter Fiber Tracts Characterized by Automated Fiber-Tract Quantification and Their Correlations With Cognitive Impairment in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder PatientsZichun YanXiaohua WangQiyuan ZhuZhuowei ShiXiaoya ChenYongliang HanQiao ZhengYiqiu WeiJingjie WangYongmei LiObjectivesTo investigate whether patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) have tract-specific alterations in the white matter (WM) and the correlations between the alterations and cognitive impairment.Materials and MethodsIn total, 40 patients with NMOSD and 20 healthy controls (HCs) who underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scan and neuropsychological scale assessments were enrolled. Automated fiber-tract quantification (AFQ) was applied to identify and quantify 100 equally spaced nodes of 18 specific WM fiber tracts for each participant. Then the group comparisons in DTI metrics and correlations between different DTI metrics and neuropsychological scales were performed.ResultsRegardless of the entire or pointwise level in WM fiber tracts, patients with NMOSD exhibited a decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the left inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (L_IFOF) and widespread increased mean diffusion (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD), especially for the thalamic radiation (TR), corticospinal tract (CST), IFOF, inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) [p < 0.05, false discovery rate (FDR) correction], and the pointwise analyses performed more sensitive. Furthermore, the negative correlations among MD, AD, RD, and symbol digit modalities test (SDMT) scores in the left TR (L_TR) were found in NMOSD.ConclusionPatients with NMOSD exhibited the specific nodes of WM fiber tract damage, which can enhance our understanding of WM microstructural abnormalities in NMOSD. In addition, the altered DTI metrics were correlated with cognitive impairment, which can be used as imaging markers for the early identification of NMOSD cognitive impairment.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2022.904309/fullneuromyelitis optica spectrum disorderwhite matterdiffusion tensor imagingautomated fiber-tract quantificationcognitive impairment |
| spellingShingle | Zichun Yan Xiaohua Wang Qiyuan Zhu Zhuowei Shi Xiaoya Chen Yongliang Han Qiao Zheng Yiqiu Wei Jingjie Wang Yongmei Li Alterations in White Matter Fiber Tracts Characterized by Automated Fiber-Tract Quantification and Their Correlations With Cognitive Impairment in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Patients Frontiers in Neuroscience neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder white matter diffusion tensor imaging automated fiber-tract quantification cognitive impairment |
| title | Alterations in White Matter Fiber Tracts Characterized by Automated Fiber-Tract Quantification and Their Correlations With Cognitive Impairment in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Patients |
| title_full | Alterations in White Matter Fiber Tracts Characterized by Automated Fiber-Tract Quantification and Their Correlations With Cognitive Impairment in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Patients |
| title_fullStr | Alterations in White Matter Fiber Tracts Characterized by Automated Fiber-Tract Quantification and Their Correlations With Cognitive Impairment in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Patients |
| title_full_unstemmed | Alterations in White Matter Fiber Tracts Characterized by Automated Fiber-Tract Quantification and Their Correlations With Cognitive Impairment in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Patients |
| title_short | Alterations in White Matter Fiber Tracts Characterized by Automated Fiber-Tract Quantification and Their Correlations With Cognitive Impairment in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Patients |
| title_sort | alterations in white matter fiber tracts characterized by automated fiber tract quantification and their correlations with cognitive impairment in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder patients |
| topic | neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder white matter diffusion tensor imaging automated fiber-tract quantification cognitive impairment |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2022.904309/full |
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