Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Cognition of Transient Ischemic Attack Patients and Healthy Controls

Barber, Philip A.Tariq, Sana2018-05-152018-05-152018-05-11Tariq, 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/31920http://hdl.handle.net/1880/106639Currently, 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.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.Diffusion Tensor ImagingAgingDementiaStrokeNeuroscienceBiophysics--MedicalPsychology--ClinicalPsychology--CognitiveDiffusion Tensor Imaging and Cognition of Transient Ischemic Attack Patients and Healthy Controlsmaster thesis10.11575/PRISM/31920