A novel approach to quantifying longitudinal white matter hyperintensity morphometrics with Alzheimer disease progression

Background The role of cerebrovascular damage in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) has resulted inconsistent findings particularly when analyzing longitudinal data. We introduce WMH shape analysis (WSA) that quantifies white matter hyperintensity (WMH) expansion as the distance from lesion voxels to a region interest boundary. sought examine extent and spatial topography with progression AD. Method Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) images were extracted across two timepoints ADNI. 275 participants classified into groups based on amyloid cognitive status: 99 controls (CN), 42 positive cognitively stable preclinical (PC) AD, 134 impaired AD individuals. WSA was performed 5 clusters (juxtacortical, anterior corona radiata, periventricular, parietal, occipital/posterior horn). intensity value for each cluster ROI boundary reflects Euclidean Distance voxel closest voxel. difference distances (DD) timepoint provides metric expansion. A voxel-wise omnibus ANOVA all three followed by subsequent T-tests. Additionally, we evaluated relationship between changes DD maps PET summary values, hypertension, APOE e4 status. Result found be significant (Fig. 1) primarily within (p<0.05 corrected). T-tests revealed group had significantly greater juxtacortical compared CN but not PC However, posterior horn driven either or association observed hypertension. strong trend (p = 0.06 corrected) status associating more copies allele. Conclusion This new approach quantifying different patterns increased severity. These results implicate growth associated is spatially specific grows distinct ways throughout disease process.