White matter abnormalities in metabolic syndrome patients with and without mild cognitive impairment: A diffusion tensor imaging study

IF 2.9 3区心理学 Q2 BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

Behavioural Brain Research Pub Date : 2026-04-12 Epub Date: 2026-01-22 DOI:10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116057

Wen Shao , TianTian Zhu , Xiaoxiao Xiong , Ying Xiong , Qiang Zhang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

The presence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) constitutes a significant risk factor for the development of cognitive dysfunction and dementia. MetS can result in damage to the integrity and microstructure of white matter (WM). There may exist certain distinctions in WM between MetS patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and MetS patients with preserved cognitive function. Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), we aim to investigate the alterations of the WM in MetS patients with and without MCI.

Methods

36 MetS patients with MCI (MetS-MCI group), 30 age-, gender-, and education-matched MetS patients with normal cognition (MetS-NC group), and 36 healthy controls (HC) were included in the study. Diffusion data was analyzed using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) analysis and Region of Interest (ROI) quantitative analysis to investigate the differences in fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (λ₁), and radial diffusivity (λ₂₃) among these groups. Analyses on WM fiber tracts showed FA reduction or MD elevation in regions related to cognitive functions. Relationship between DTI metrics in these regions and neuropsychological assessments was characterized.

Results

In the whole-brain TBSS analysis, compared to HC group, MetS-MCI group primarily exhibited an increase in MD, λ₁ and λ_23. MetS-NC group primarily exhibited an increase in MD and λ₁ compared to HC group. Furthermore, compared to MetS-NC group, MetS-MCI group demonstrated significantly elevated MD and λ₂₃. In the ROI quantitative analysis, increased MD values in right posterior thalamic radiation (PTR.R), left external capsule (EC.L), right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFO.R), left inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFO.L), and right uncinate fasciculus (UF.R), along with decreased FA values in EC.L, right external capsule (EC.R) and left superior corona radiata (SCR.L), were associated with overall cognitive decline. Elevated MD values in EC.L and IFO.L, as well as reduced FA values in EC.L, were linked to poorer executive function. Similarly, higher MD values in EC.L, IFO.L, and UF.R, combined with lower FA values in EC.L, were associated with worse memory performance.

Conclusions

Our study showed that MetS patients with MCI exhibited more severe WM damage compared to MetS patients without cognitive impairment, and loss of myelin sheath integrity may contribute to the cognitive decline in patients with MetS. Furthermore, our study clarified the association between different cognitive functions and specific WM fiber bundles in MetS patients.

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伴有和不伴有轻度认知障碍的代谢综合征患者的白质异常：弥散张量成像研究。

背景：代谢综合征（MetS）的存在是认知功能障碍和痴呆发展的重要危险因素。MetS可导致白质（WM）的完整性和微观结构的损害。轻度认知障碍（MCI）的MetS患者与保留认知功能的MetS患者在WM上可能存在一定的差异。利用弥散张量成像（DTI），我们的目的是研究伴有和不伴有MCI的MetS患者WM的变化。方法：选取36例伴有MCI的MetS患者（MetS-MCI组），30例年龄、性别、学历相匹配的认知正常的MetS患者（MetS- nc组）和36例健康对照（HC）。采用基于束的空间统计分析（TBSS）和感兴趣区域（ROI）定量分析方法对扩散数据进行分析，探讨各组间分数各向异性（FA）、平均扩散系数（MD）、轴向扩散系数（λ1）和径向扩散系数（λ23）的差异。WM纤维束分析显示认知功能相关区域FA减少或MD升高。分析了这些区域的DTI指标与神经心理评估之间的关系。结果：在全脑TBSS分析中，与HC组相比，MetS-MCI组主要表现为MD、λ1和λ23的升高。与HC组相比，MetS-NC组主要表现为MD和λ1的升高。此外，与MetS-NC组相比，MetS-MCI组的MD和λ23显著升高。在ROI定量分析中，右后丘脑辐射（PTR）的MD值升高。右)，左外囊（EC）。左)，右额枕下束（IFO）。左额枕下束（IFO）。右钩肌束（UF）。R)，同时降低了EC中的FA值。左，右外囊（EC.R）和左上辐射冠（SCR）。L)，与整体认知能力下降有关。EC中MD值升高。L和IFO。L，以及EC中FA值的降低。L，与较差的执行功能有关。同样，EC中MD值较高。L, IFO。L和UF。R，再加上EC中较低的FA值。L，与较差的记忆表现有关。结论：我们的研究表明，与没有认知障碍的MetS患者相比，伴有MCI的MetS患者表现出更严重的WM损伤，髓鞘完整性的丧失可能导致MetS患者的认知能力下降。此外，我们的研究阐明了met患者不同认知功能与特定WM纤维束之间的关系。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Behavioural Brain Research 医学-行为科学

CiteScore

5.60

自引率

0.00%

发文量

383

审稿时长

61 days

期刊介绍： Behavioural Brain Research is an international, interdisciplinary journal dedicated to the publication of articles in the field of behavioural neuroscience, broadly defined. Contributions from the entire range of disciplines that comprise the neurosciences, behavioural sciences or cognitive sciences are appropriate, as long as the goal is to delineate the neural mechanisms underlying behaviour. Thus, studies may range from neurophysiological, neuroanatomical, neurochemical or neuropharmacological analysis of brain-behaviour relations, including the use of molecular genetic or behavioural genetic approaches, to studies that involve the use of brain imaging techniques, to neuroethological studies. Reports of original research, of major methodological advances, or of novel conceptual approaches are all encouraged. The journal will also consider critical reviews on selected topics.