Julio Acosta-Cabronero1, Stephanie Alley2, Guy B. Williams3, Peter J. Nestor1
1Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom; 2Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom; 3Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
In early-stage clinical Alzheimers disease, the most prominent alterations measured by diffusion tensor imaging are characterised by the apparent increase in both axial and transverse self-diffusion components. This tensor behaviour, however, causes fractional anisotropy to grossly underestimate the true extent of early abnormalities. In this study, we explored a wide range of anisotropy metrics, and found that white matter changes in mild Alzheimers disease are best described by the loss of tensor planarity.