Multilevel Deficiency of White Matter Connectivity Networks in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Diffusion MRI Study with DTI and HARDI Models

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in elderly people. It is an irreversible and progressive brain disease. In this paper, we utilized diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to detect abnormal topological organization of white matter (WM) structural networks. We compared the diffe...

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Main Authors: Tao Wang, Feng Shi, Yan Jin, Pew-Thian Yap, Chong-Yaw Wee, Jianye Zhang, Cece Yang, Xia Li, Shifu Xiao, Dinggang Shen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-01-01
Series:Neural Plasticity
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/2947136
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author Tao Wang
Feng Shi
Yan Jin
Pew-Thian Yap
Chong-Yaw Wee
Jianye Zhang
Cece Yang
Xia Li
Shifu Xiao
Dinggang Shen
author_facet Tao Wang
Feng Shi
Yan Jin
Pew-Thian Yap
Chong-Yaw Wee
Jianye Zhang
Cece Yang
Xia Li
Shifu Xiao
Dinggang Shen
author_sort Tao Wang
collection DOAJ
description Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in elderly people. It is an irreversible and progressive brain disease. In this paper, we utilized diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to detect abnormal topological organization of white matter (WM) structural networks. We compared the differences between WM connectivity characteristics at global, regional, and local levels in 26 patients with probable AD and 16 normal control (NC) elderly subjects, using connectivity networks constructed with the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) model and the high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) model, respectively. At the global level, we found that the WM structural networks of both AD and NC groups had a small-world topology; however, the AD group showed a significant decrease in both global and local efficiency, but an increase in clustering coefficient and the average shortest path length. We further found that the AD patients had significantly decreased nodal efficiency at the regional level, as well as weaker connections in multiple local cortical and subcortical regions, such as precuneus, temporal lobe, hippocampus, and thalamus. The HARDI model was found to be more advantageous than the DTI model, as it was more sensitive to the deficiencies in AD at all of the three levels.
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spelling doaj-art-a3925a5243394a2b8e5ad5e9c095281a2025-08-20T03:38:19ZengWileyNeural Plasticity2090-59041687-54432016-01-01201610.1155/2016/29471362947136Multilevel Deficiency of White Matter Connectivity Networks in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Diffusion MRI Study with DTI and HARDI ModelsTao Wang0Feng Shi1Yan Jin2Pew-Thian Yap3Chong-Yaw Wee4Jianye Zhang5Cece Yang6Xia Li7Shifu Xiao8Dinggang Shen9Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaIDEA Lab, Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USAIDEA Lab, Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USAIDEA Lab, Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USAIDEA Lab, Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USADepartment of Radiology, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Geriatric Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Geriatric Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Geriatric Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaIDEA Lab, Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USAAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in elderly people. It is an irreversible and progressive brain disease. In this paper, we utilized diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to detect abnormal topological organization of white matter (WM) structural networks. We compared the differences between WM connectivity characteristics at global, regional, and local levels in 26 patients with probable AD and 16 normal control (NC) elderly subjects, using connectivity networks constructed with the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) model and the high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) model, respectively. At the global level, we found that the WM structural networks of both AD and NC groups had a small-world topology; however, the AD group showed a significant decrease in both global and local efficiency, but an increase in clustering coefficient and the average shortest path length. We further found that the AD patients had significantly decreased nodal efficiency at the regional level, as well as weaker connections in multiple local cortical and subcortical regions, such as precuneus, temporal lobe, hippocampus, and thalamus. The HARDI model was found to be more advantageous than the DTI model, as it was more sensitive to the deficiencies in AD at all of the three levels.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/2947136
spellingShingle Tao Wang
Feng Shi
Yan Jin
Pew-Thian Yap
Chong-Yaw Wee
Jianye Zhang
Cece Yang
Xia Li
Shifu Xiao
Dinggang Shen
Multilevel Deficiency of White Matter Connectivity Networks in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Diffusion MRI Study with DTI and HARDI Models
Neural Plasticity
title Multilevel Deficiency of White Matter Connectivity Networks in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Diffusion MRI Study with DTI and HARDI Models
title_full Multilevel Deficiency of White Matter Connectivity Networks in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Diffusion MRI Study with DTI and HARDI Models
title_fullStr Multilevel Deficiency of White Matter Connectivity Networks in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Diffusion MRI Study with DTI and HARDI Models
title_full_unstemmed Multilevel Deficiency of White Matter Connectivity Networks in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Diffusion MRI Study with DTI and HARDI Models
title_short Multilevel Deficiency of White Matter Connectivity Networks in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Diffusion MRI Study with DTI and HARDI Models
title_sort multilevel deficiency of white matter connectivity networks in alzheimer s disease a diffusion mri study with dti and hardi models
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/2947136
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