White matter connectivity in incident mild cognitive impairment: a diffusion spectrum imaging study of World Trade Center responders at midlife.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bangiyev L ; Bromet EJ ; Clouston SAP ; Deri Y ; Gandy S ; Huang C ; Kritikos M ; Luft BJ ; Sano M ; Santiago-Michels S ; Serrano-Sosa M
• Description:
  Background: Individuals who participated in response efforts at the World Trade Center (WTC) following 9/11/2001 are experiencing elevated incidence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at midlife. Objective: We hypothesized that white matter connectivity measured using diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) would be restructured in WTC responders with MCI versus cognitively unimpaired responders. Methods: Twenty responders (mean age 56; 10 MCI/10 unimpaired) recruited from an epidemiological study were characterized using NIA-AA criteria alongside controls matched on demographics (age/sex/occupation/race/education). Axial DSI was acquired on a 3T Siemen's Biograph mMR scanner (12-channel head coil) using a multi-band diffusion sequence. Connectometry examined whole-brain tract-level differences in white matter integrity. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and quantified anisotropy were extracted for region of interest (ROI) analyses using the Desikan-Killiany atlas. Results: Connectometry identified both increased and decreased connectivity within regions of the brains of responders with MCI identified in the corticothalamic pathway and cortico-striatal pathway that survived adjustment for multiple comparisons. MCI was also associated with higher FA values in five ROIs including in the rostral anterior cingulate; lower MD values in four ROIs including the left rostral anterior cingulate; and higher MD values in the right inferior circular insula. Analyses by cognitive domain revealed nominal associations in domains of response speed, verbal learning, verbal retention, and visuospatial learning. Conclusions: WTC responders with MCI at midlife showed early signs of neurodegeneration characterized by both increased and decreased white matter diffusivity in regions commonly affected by early-onset Alzheimer's disease. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Emergency Responders Nervous System Occupational Health Safety September 11 Terrorist Attacks
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Alzheimer's Disease; Diffusion Spectrum Imaging; Incident Mild Cognitive Impairment; Midlife; White Matter Connectivity; World Trade Center Responders WTC; World Trade Center; Disaster Response; Emergency Responders; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; MRI; Imaging Techniques; Neurophysiological Effects; Cognitive Function; Brain Matter;
• ISSN:
  1387-2877
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement ; Contract
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  New York ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  80
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20065634
• Citation:
  J Alzheimers Dis 2021 Apr; 80(3):1209-1219
• Contact Point Address:
  Sean A. P. Clouston, Program in Public Health, Health Sciences Center, #3-071, Nichols Rd., Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794 8338, USA
• Email:
  sean.clouston@stonybrookmedicine.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2021
• Performing Organization:
  Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20160901
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
• End Date:
  20200831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:45ce134299dc865c738aebe93bb85eb80fa898c29df97d10b2634aabe74a04548438c01464e82eda48aca571caff35dbe235e30fbb2f37a78a9dce2eda224730
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/248732/cdc_248732_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 787.56 KB ]