Table 2.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging of White Matter Integrity and Neurobehavioral Outcomes
| Frontostriatal tract | Frontal lobes | Parietal lobes | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FA | AD | RD | FA | AD | RD | FA | AD | RD | ||||||||||
| BRIEF domains | Est. (SE) | P* | Est. (SE) | P* | Est. (SE) | P* | Est. (SE) | P* | Est. (SE) | P* | Est. (SE) | P* | Est. (SE) | P* | Est. (SE) | P* | Est. (SE) | P* |
| Inhibit | −16·1 (10·9) | 0·15 | 6·2 (7·7) | 0·44 | 13·5 (7·1) | 0·059 | 3·4 (13·6) | 0·80 | 17·4 (6·7) | 0·027 | 13·1 (7·7) | 0·11 | 12·1 (10·3) | 0·98 | 15·5 (7·6) | 0·076 | 1·14 (8·1) | 0·89 |
| Shift | −18·0 (8·5) | 0·054 | 4·6 (6·0) | 0·44 | 13·5 (5·5) | 0·018 | −4·8 (10·5) | 0·80 | 9·6 (5·2) | 0·086 | 8·0 (6·0) | 0·18 | 3·1 (8·1) | 0·91 | 13·6 (5·9) | 0·050 | 6·6 (6·3) | 0·43 |
| Emotional control | −12·9 (11·8) | 0·27 | 15·4 (8·2) | 0·43 | 15·6 (7·6) | 0·046 | −4·2 (14·6) | 0·80 | 20·5 (7·1) | 0·018 | 16·1 (8·2) | 0·098 | −17·6 (11·1) | 0·98 | 14·6 (8·2) | 0·086 | 9·8 (8·7) | 0·43 |
| BRI | −48·9 (28·4) | 0·10 | 35·3 (19·9) | 0·43 | 48·0 (18·4) | 0·016 | −14·5 (35·3) | 0·80 | 64·0 (17·0) | 0·0022 | 51·9 (19·6) | 0·093 | 0·51 (26·9) | 0·98 | 47·7 (19·7) | 0·050 | 29·7 (20·9) | 0·43 |
| Initiate | −18·3 (8·9) | 0·058 | 9·2 (6·3) | 0·43 | 15·0 (5·8) | 0·016 | −9·1 (11·1) | 0·75 | 7·7 (5·6) | 0·16 | 8·9 (6·3) | 0·17 | 1·4 (8·5) | 0·95 | 14·1 (6·2) | 0·050 | 7·7 (6·6) | 0·43 |
| Working memory | −40·3 (13·2) | 0·023 | 10·7 (9·5) | 0·44 | 28·0 (8·6) | 0·0070 | −16·4 (16·6) | 0·75 | 18·1 (8·3) | 0·054 | 19·1 (9·4) | 0·098 | 6·0 (12·7) | 0·97 | 18·1 (9·4) | 0·076 | 6·4 (9·9) | 0·57 |
| Plan/Organize | −43·4 (15·6) | 0·023 | 9·3 (11·2) | 0·44 | 30·3 (10·2) | 0·0099 | −13·6 (19·8) | 0·77 | 18·3 (9·8) | 0·086 | 18·7 (11·2) | 0·11 | 3·4 (15·1) | 0·95 | 26·3 (11·1) | 0·050 | 11·9 (11·8) | 0·43 |
| Organization of Materials | −25·4 (9·8) | 0·023 | 5·4 (7·0) | 0·44 | 16·3 (6·4) | 0·016 | 15·8 (12·2) | 0·75 | 14·6 (6·0) | 0·038 | 15·6 (6·9) | 0·093 | −6·8 (9·4) | 0·98 | 12·8 (6·9) | 0·080 | 12·8 (7·3) | 0·43 |
| Monitor | −20·6 (9·0) | 0·044 | 5·4 (6·4) | 0·44 | 15·6 (5·9) | 0·016 | −9·9 (11·3) | 0·75 | 8·1 (5·6) | 0·16 | 10·9 (6·4) | 0·11 | 2·4 (8·6) | 0·95 | 8·9 (6·4) | 0·16 | 4·8 (6·8) | 0·57 |
| Metacognition Index | −145·5 (49·7) | 0·023 | 38·2 (35·6) | 0·44 | 102·9 (32·4) | 0·0070 | −60·6 (62·6) | 0·75 | 63·8 (31·1) | 0·068 | 69·3 (35·3) | 0·098 | 9·0 (48·0) | 0·95 | 79·1 (35·2) | 0·050 | 41·9 (37·4) | 0·43 |
| GEC | −194·4 (72·7) | 0·023 | 73·5 (51·8) | 0·43 | 150·9 (47·2) | 0·0070 | −75·2 (91·3) | 0·75 | 127·7 (44·8) | 0·018 | 121·1 (51·1) | 0·093 | 8·2 (69·9) | 0·96 | 126·8 (51·1) | 0·050 | 71·6 (54·4) | 0·43 |
P values for the association between neurobehavioral outcomes (raw scores of the BRIEF domains, as well as the overall BRI and Metacognition indices) and white matter integrity at follow-up (FA, AD and RD measures) within the frontostriatal tract and the frontal and parietal lobes. General linear modeling was used to examine the associations, adjusting for age at evaluation. All models have been adjusted for false discovery rate. A higher raw score on the BRIEF is indicative of more neurobehavioral problems.
Within the frontostriatal tract, higher FA was associated with fewer problems on all of the metacognitive domains while higher RD was associated with more problems. However, the association of neurobehavioral problems with white matter integrity was weaker within the frontal and parietal lobes, as compared to the frontostriatal tract.
Abbreviations: AD, axial diffusivity; BRI, Behavioral Regulation Index; BRIEF, Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function; Est, estimate; FA, fractional anisotropy; GEC, Global Executive Composite; RD, radial diffusivity; SE, standard error