AUTHOR=Santos Pedro P. , Silveira Paula S. Da , Souza-Duran Fabio L. , Tamashiro-Duran Jaqueline H. , Scazufca Márcia , Menezes Paulo R. , Leite Claudia Da Costa , Lotufo Paulo A. , Vallada Homero , Wajngarten Maurício , De Toledo Ferraz Alves Tânia C. , Rzezak Patricia , Busatto Geraldo F. 

TITLE=Prefrontal-Parietal White Matter Volumes in Healthy Elderlies Are Decreased in Proportion to the Degree of Cardiovascular Risk and Related to Inhibitory Control Deficits

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00057

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00057

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<p>Cardiovascular risk (CVR) factors may be associated with poor cognitive functioning in elderlies and impairments in brain structure. Using MRI and voxel-based morphometry (VBM), we assessed regional white matter (WM) volumes in a population-based sample of individuals aged 65–75 years (<italic>n</italic> = 156), subdivided in three CVR subgroups using the Framingham Risk Score. Cognition was assessed using the Short Cognitive Performance Test. In high-risk subjects, we detected significantly reduced WM volume in the right juxtacortical dorsolateral prefrontal region compared to both low and intermediate CVR subgroups. Findings remained significant after accounting for the presence of the APOEε4 allele. Inhibitory control performance was negatively related to right prefrontal WM volume, proportionally to the degree of CVR. Significantly reduced deep parietal WM was also detected bilaterally in the high CVR subgroup. This is the first large study documenting the topography of CVR-related WM brain volume deficits. The significant association regarding poor response inhibition indicates that prefrontal WM deficits related to CVR are clinically meaningful, since inhibitory control is known to rely on prefrontal integrity.</p>