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AJNR - American Journal of Neuroradiology

Published ahead of print on June 12, 2008
doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A1169

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American Journal of Neuroradiology 29:1498-1504, September 2008
© 2008 American Society of Neuroradiology

BRAIN

White Matter Changes Contribute to Corpus Callosum Atrophy in the Elderly: The LADIS Study

C. Ryberg^a,b, E. Rostrup^b, K. Sjöstrand^c, O.B. Paulson^b,d, F. Barkhof^e, P. Scheltens^f, E.C.W. van Straaten^f, F. Fazekas^g, R. Schmidt^g, T. Erkinjuntti^h, L.-O. Wahlundⁱ, A.M. Basile^j, L. Pantoni^j, D. Inzitari^j, G. Waldemar^a on behalf of the LADIS study group

^a Memory Disorders Research Group, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
^b Danish Research Center for Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
^c Informatics and Mathematical Modelling, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
^d Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
^e Department of Radiology and Image Analysis Center, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
^f Department of Neurology, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
^g Department of Neurology, Medical University, Graz, Austria
^h Memory Research Unit, Department of Neurology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
ⁱ Department of Clinical Neuroscience, NEUROTEC, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
^j Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

Please address correspondence to Gunhild Waldemar, MD, DMSc, Department of Neurology, Section 2082, The Copenhagen Memory Clinic & The Memory Disorders Research Group, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, 9 Blegdamsvej, DK 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark; e-mail: gunhild.waldemar{at}rh.regionh.dk

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The corpus callosum (CC) is the most important structure involved in the transmission of interhemispheric information. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential correlation between regional age-related white matter changes (ARWMC) and atrophy of CC in elderly subjects.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 578 subjects with ARWMC from the Leukoaraiosis And DISability (LADIS) study, the cross-sectional area of the CC was automatically segmented on the normalized midsagittal MR imaging section and subdivided into 5 regions. The ARWMC volumes were measured quantitatively by using a semiautomated technique and segmented into 6 brain regions.

RESULTS: Significant correlation between the area of the rostrum and splenium regions of the CC and the ARWMC load in most brain regions was identified. This correlation persisted after correction for global atrophy.

CONCLUSION: Increasing loads of ARWMC volume were significantly correlated with atrophy of the CC and its subregions in nondisabled elderly subjects with leukoaraiosis. However, the pattern of correlation between CC subregions and ARWMC was not specifically related to the topographic location of ARWMC. The results suggest that ARWMC may lead to a gradual loss of CC tissue.