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Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 2000 Oct;69(4):528–530. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.69.4.528

Loss of connectivity in Alzheimer's disease: an evaluation of white matter tract integrity with colour coded MR diffusion tensor imaging

S Rose 1, F Chen 1, J Chalk 1, F Zelaya 1, W Strugnell 1, M Benson 1, J Semple 1, D Doddrell 1
PMCID: PMC1737121  PMID: 10990518

Abstract

A NOVEL MRI METHOD—diffusion tensor imaging—was used to compare the integrity of several white matter fibre tracts in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease. Relative to normal controls, patients with probable Alzheimer's disease showed a highly significant reduction in the integrity of the association white matter fibre tracts, such as the splenium of the corpus callosum, superior longitudinal fasciculus, and cingulum. By contrast, pyramidal tract integrity seemed unchanged. This novel finding is consistent with the clinical presentation of probable Alzheimer's disease, in which global cognitive decline is a more prominent feature than motor disturbance.



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