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Topological length of white matter connections predicts their rate of atrophy in premanifest Huntington's disease
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Topological length of white matter connections predicts their rate of atrophy in premanifest Huntington's disease

Peter McColgan, Kiran K. Seunarine, Sarah Gregory, Adeel Razi, Marina Papoutsi, Jeffrey D. Long, James A. Mills, Eileanoir Johnson, Alexandra Durr, Raymund A. C. Roos, …
JCI insight, Vol.2(8), e92641
04/20/2017
DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.92641
PMCID: PMC5396531
PMID: 28422761
url
https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.92641View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

We lack a mechanistic explanation for the stereotyped pattern of white matter loss seen in Huntington's disease (HD). While the earliest white matter changes are seen around the striatum, within the corpus callosum, and in the posterior white matter tracts, the order in which these changes occur and why these white matter connections are specifically vulnerable is unclear. Here, we use diffusion tractography in a longitudinal cohort of individuals yet to develop clinical symptoms of HD to identify a hierarchy of vulnerability, where the topological length of white matter connections between a brain area and its neighbors predicts the rate of atrophy over 24 months. This demonstrates a new principle underlying neurodegeneration in HD, whereby brain connections with the greatest topological length are the first to suffer damage that can account for the stereotyped pattern of white matter loss observed in premanifest HD.
Life Sciences & Biomedicine Medicine, Research & Experimental Research & Experimental Medicine Science & Technology

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