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Abstract #1935

White matter damage in MCI converters and non converters to AD: a longitudinal study using probabilistic tractography

Elena Makovac 1 , Laura Serra 1 , Barbara Span 1 , Giovanni Giulietti 1 , Mario Torso 1 , Mara Cercignani 1,2 , Carlo Caltagirone 3,4 , and Marco Bozzali 1

1 Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy, 2 Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, United Kingdom, 3 Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy, 4 Department of Neuroscience, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy

Patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) are known to have a higher risk of convertion to AD than healthy elderly subjects. In this longitudinal study, we used probabilistic tractography to perform a multiple DTI index analysis of the principal association, limbic and commissural WM tracts known to be involved by AD pathology. Subtle changes in brain structure associated with disease progression were remarkably more evident in aMCI converters than MCI non converters. These findings suggest that both primary myelin breakdown and axonal loss occur over AD evolution, and different patterns may account for different stages between preclinical and clinical AD.

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