Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Cognition of Transient Ischemic Attack Patients and Healthy Controls
Date
2018-05-11
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Abstract
Currently, there is no cure for dementia and prevention trials need to be redesigned with a focus on high-risk population and standardized biomarkers, which include clinical, demographic, imaging and neuropsychological considerations. Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) patients are at an increased risk of dementia due to the presence of vascular risk factors and underlying vascular/neurodegenerative pathology. We hypothesized that at baseline TIA patients will exhibit abnormal microstructural white matter (WM) changes as measured by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters, and that these parameters will predict worse cognitive outcomes. Our results suggest that TIA patients showed higher axial diffusivity (AxD), mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) parameters in the fornix, a tract crucial for memory, and lower fractional anisotropy (FA) overall when compared to healthy controls. TIA patients also performed poorer on tests of executive function, episodic and working memory, and processing speed. DTI parameters of FA and MD predicted performance in tests of executive function and memory but not processing speed. Considering these results, TIA patients are a high-risk population for cognitive change.
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Keywords
Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Aging, Dementia, Stroke
Citation
Tariq, S. (2018). Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Cognition of Transient Ischemic Attack Patients and Healthy Controls (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/31920