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Abstract #0607

Longitudinal Age-Related Changes in Radial and Axial Diffusion Using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics

Thomas Richard Barrick1, Rebecca Anne Charlton2, Ai Wern Chung2, Christopher Alan Clark3, Hugh Stephen Markus2

1Centre for Clinical Neuroscience, Saint George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom; 2Centre for Clinical Neuroscience, Saint George's, University of London, United Kingdom; 3Institute of Child Health, University College London, United Kingdom


The aim of this study is to use tract based spatial statistics to investigate local age-related white matter structural change on a voxel-by-voxel basis over a 2-year period. 74 middle-aged and elderly individuals were scanned at both time-points and fractional anisotropy, axial and radial diffusivity were measured. Significant increases in average radial diffusivity and decreases in FA were found throughout the white matter in contrast to greater variability in change (both increase and decrease) of axial diffusivity. This study is the first to investigate longitudinal change in axial and radial diffusivity with age.

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