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Topographic correspondence between white matter hyperintensities and brain atrophy

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Abstract

White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are a common finding in normal elderly persons. We studied the biological damage associated with WMHs by assessing the correspondence between WMH location and regional gray matter loss.Voxel–based morphometry of the gray matter was carried out with statistical parametric mapping on high resolution MR images.Neurologically intact persons with mainly anterior (frontal>parieto–occipital; N = 39) and mainly posterior WMHs (parieto– occipital>frontal; N = 14) were compared with a group devoid of WMHs (N = 80). Subjects with mainly frontal WMHs had bilateral frontal (medial, superior, and inferior gyri) atrophy in gray matter, while subjects with mainly posterior WMHs had more diffuse atrophy, involving mainly the frontal but also the right insular region. Our findings suggest that frontal WMHs are associated with frontal gray matter damage while parietooccipital WMHs seem to have a weaker and more diffuse impact on gray matter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Epidemiology,Neuroimaging and Telemedicine, IRCCS San Giovanni di Dio-FBF, via Pilastroni 4, 25125, Brescia, Italy

    R. Rossi MS, M. Boccardi MS, F. Sabattoli Math, S. Galluzzi MD, G. Alaimo MS, C. Testa Math & G. B. Frisoni MD

  2. Machine Vision Laboratory, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Udine, Udine, Italy

    C. Testa Math

  3. AFaR Associazione Fatebenefratelli, per la Ricerca Rome, Rome, Italy

    G. B. Frisoni MD

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  1. R. Rossi MS
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Correspondence to R. Rossi MS.

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Rossi, R., Boccardi, M., Sabattoli, F. et al. Topographic correspondence between white matter hyperintensities and brain atrophy. J Neurol 253, 919–927 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-006-0133-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-006-0133-z

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