Journal article

Executive dysfunction correlates with caudate nucleus atrophy in patients with white matter changes on MRI: A subset of LADIS

MD Macfarlane, JCL Looi, M Walterfang, G Spulber, D Velakoulis, M Crisby, E Örndahl, T Erkinjuntti, E Garde, G Waldemar, A Wallin, LO Wahlund

Psychiatry Research Neuroimaging | Published : 2013

Abstract

White matter changes (WMC) are common magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, particularly in the elderly. Recent studies such as the Leukoaraiosis and Disability Study (LADIS) have found that WMC relate to adverse outcomes including cognitive impairment, depression, disability, unsteadiness and falls in cross-sectional and follow-up studies. Frontostriatal (or frontosubcortical) brain circuits may serve many of these functions, with the caudate nuclei playing a role in convergence of cognitive functions. This study aimed to determine whether reduced caudate volume relates to cognitive functions (executive functions, memory functions and speed of processing) and WMC. We determined caudate..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by European Commission


Funding Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the European Union (Grant QLRT-2000-00446, Impact of age-related brain white matter changes on transition to disability in the elderly Leukoaraiosis and Disability'). The Danish cohort study was supported, in part, by the Danish Velux Foundation. An abstract based upon preliminary data in this paper was presented at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Annual Congress in Hobart, Australia, May 2012. JCLL self funded travel costs to assist in the conduct of this research in Melbourne and Stockholm, The ANALYZE 10.0b image analysis software was provided on a Mac Book Pro computer owned by the University of Melbourne. This research has made use of the SMILE medical imaging laboratory at Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden,