There is a significant association between changes in the brain’s white matter microstructure and cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to a study published June 9 in JAMA Neurology.
The study helps researchers pinpoint triggers for the decline of certain neurological functions, according to senior author Derek Archer, PhD, assistant professor of Neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
“This study is unique, not just because we assembled data collected across more than two decades, but because of the volume of participants from which our team was able to leverage data. The more data we have, the better we are positioned to identify targeted interventions to treat, diagnose and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.”
Angela Jefferson, PhD, founding director of the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center
White matter microstructure is crucial for neural communication, brain function and cognition. Data collected from nine different cohorts and a total of 4,467 participants via magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, and thousands of neuropsychological assessments revealed that microstructure changes work together with other AD risk factors to predict even more rapid cognitive decline.
“Analyzing white matter microstructure changes with other biomarkers provides a more comprehensive picture of brain health,” said Archer. “Understanding these connections can help predict when memory and thinking skills might decline more rapidly. By focusing on the changes in these critical brain regions, we can better understand cognitive decline mechanisms and improve assessment strategies for aging populations.”
Participants exhibiting abnormal AD traits, including the SPARE-AD index, an imaging biomarker used to identify and predict the presence of AD-like brain atrophy patterns, among other risk factors, experienced exacerbated cognitive decline.
Additional VUMC co-authors include Angela Jefferson, PhD, professor of Neurology and founding director of the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center (VMAC), and Timothy Hohman, PhD, professor of Neurology.
“This study is unique, not just because we assembled data collected across more than two decades, but because of the volume of participants from which our team was able to leverage data,” said Jefferson, who holds the Herbert O. and Vineta Christopher Directorship. “The more data we have, the better we are positioned to identify targeted interventions to treat, diagnose and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.”
Co-first authors on the study are Aditi Sathe, a statistical genetics analyst at VMAC, and Christopher Peter, a biomedical engineering undergraduate student at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana.
The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health (grants K01AG073584 and U24AG074855).
