# Investigating the association between white microstructure and cognitive performance in the oldest old: a DTI analysis from the Fibratlas cohort

Eva Sizaret, Lucie Angel, Frédéric Andersson, Christophe Destrieux, Ilyess Zemmoura

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Eva Sizaret, Lucie Angel, Frédéric Andersson, Christophe Destrieux, Ilyess Zemmoura. Investigating the association between white microstructure and cognitive performance in the oldest old: a DTI analysis from the Fibratlas cohort. 7ème Journée de la recherche biomédicale Tours-Angers, Dec 2023, Tours, France. . [hal-04744787](https://hal-04744787v1)

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# Investigating the association between white microstructure and cognitive performance in the oldest old : a DTI analysis from the Fibratlas cohort

Eva Sizaret (1)(2), Lucie Angel (1), Frédéric Andersson (2), Christophe Destrieux (2,3), Ilyess Zemmoura (2,3),

(1) UMR 7295 CeRCA, Université de Tours, Université de Poitiers, France. (2) UMR 1253 iBraiN, Université de Tours, France. (3) Service de Neurochirurgie, CHU de Tours, Tours

## Introduction

### Normal aging

- Modification of cognitive functions (especially in processing speed, working memory, executive functions, and long-term episodic memory).

- Microstructural changes in the white matter of the brain (observable using diffusion tensor imaging¹,²

**Significant role of white matter** in processing speed, executive function, and episodic memory : important role of the cingulum and corpus callosum in tasks involving executive function³.

Few studies on correlation brain microstructure and cognitive function **on very old individuals** (over 80 years old)

**Preliminary study with 30 subjects from Fibratlas Cohort :**

No role for the cingulum and corpus callosum in verbal episodic memory performance

No association between the left and right cingulum frontal parahippocampal and corpus callosum forceps minor bundles and cognitive function examined.

Questionable small negative correlation between FA and digit span

### Research issues :

Investigate correlation between Corpus Callosum and Cingulum with cognitive performance in processing speed, executive functions, and episodic memory in very old age

## Methodology

### Participants

Sample of 73 participants aged 82 to 93,6 (m= 84,9 ± 3) from FIBRATLAS cohort

- Healthy french participants

- No history of neurologic or neurosurgical disease

- No major impairment

- IADL ≥ 4

<figure><img src="image_2.png" /></figure>

### Materials & Methods

1. **Analysis of cognitive measures** extracted from the neuropsychological assessment performed at inclusion

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /></figure>

2. **Reconstruction of cingulum bundle and corpus callosum** using DSI Studio

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /></figure>

A deterministic fiber tracking algorithm⁴ was used with augmented tracking strategies⁵ to improve reproducibility

Source: https://dsi-studio.labsolver.org/doc/how_to_analyze_dmri.html

<figure><img src="image_5.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_6.png" /></figure>

3. **Analysis of cingulum bundle and corpus callosum**

<figure><img src="image_7.png" /></figure>

4. **White matter bundles metrics analysis***

<table><tr><td>FA</td><td>Fractional Anisotropy</td><td>measure of the directional dependency of a diffusion process (value 0 to 1)</td></tr><tr><td>MD</td><td>Mean Diffusivity</td><td>average of the three eigenvalues of the diffusion tensor (mm²/s)</td></tr><tr><td>AD</td><td>Axial Diffusivity</td><td>diffusion speed of water molecules along the main diffusion direction (mm²/s)</td></tr><tr><td>RD</td><td>Radial Diffusivity</td><td>diffusion speed of water molecules perpendicular to the primary diffusion direction (mm²/s)</td></tr></table>

<figure><img src="image_8.png" /></figure>

## Results

Correlations between scores and white matter bundles metrics were examined. Partial correlations were performed to control the effect of age. Only significant correlations are reported below.

<figure><img src="image_9.png" /></figure>

## Conclusion

✓ **No role for the cingulum and corpus callosum in verbal episodic memory performance**

✓ **Significant but moderate relationship found between tests of executive function and different parts of the Corpus Callosum and Cingulum Frontal Parietal**

✓ **Fractional Anisotropy : relevant measure for investigating links between white matter bundles and executive function**

✓ **Questionable moderate negative correlation between FA and Digit Span test**

✓ **This study could be complemented by analysis of a larger number of bundles involved in episodic memory performance, executive function and processing speed (fornix, uncinate bundle, inferior and superior longitudinal bundles).**

## References

1. Lebel, C., Gee, M., Camicioli, R., Wieler, M., Martin, W., & Beaulieu, C. (2012). Diffusion tensor imaging of white matter tract evolution over the lifespan. *NeuroImage*, 60(1), 340-352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.11.094

2. Bennett, I. J., Greenia, D. E., Maillard, P., Sajjadi, S. A., DeCarli, C., Corrada, M. M., & Kawas, C. H. (2017). Age-related white matter integrity differences in oldest-old without dementia. *Neurobiology of Aging*, 56, 108-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.04.013

3. Maldonado, I. L., Parente De Matos, V., Castro Cuesta, T. A., Herbet, G., & Destrieux, C. (2020). The human cingulum : From the limbic tract to the connectionist paradigm. *Neuropsychologia*, 144, 107487. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107487

4. Yeh, F.-C., Verstynen, T. D., Wang, Y., Fernández-Miranda, J. C., & Tseng, W.-Y. I. (2013). Deterministic diffusion fiber tracking improved by quantitative anisotropy. *PLOS ONE*, 8(11), e80713. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080713

5. Yeh, F.-C. (2020). Shape analysis of the human association pathways. *NeuroImage*, 223, 117329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117329

<footnote>*degree of diffusion weighting used : b-value=1200s/mm²</footnote>