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Abstract #0966

Decreased Susceptibility Contrast in Sensory Cortex Is Associated with Reduced Cognitive Performance

Wei Li1, Christian Langkammer2, Reinhold Schmidt2, Stefan Ropele2, Chunlei Liu1, 3

1Brain Imaging & Analysis Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States; 2Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; 3Radiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States

Magnetic susceptibility shows good gray and white matter contrast, and may provide valuable information regarding iron deposits and myelination in brain tissue. In this study, we correlated susceptibility contrast in sensory and motor cortex with clinical cognitive scores in 115 healthy volunteers ranging from 40-83 y/o. It is found that decreased susceptibility contrast in sensory cortex was associated with reduced cognitive performance as demonstrated by the increased errors in Wisconsin card sorting test. These results may suggest the potential value of magnetic susceptibility contrast for assessment of the healthiness of cerebral cortex in the human brain.

Keywords

abnormal adult altered analyzed assembly assessment automated axial background backward brain card categories cerebral chemical clinical coefficients cognition cognitive completely complicated composition comprehensive considered contents contrast correct correlate correlated correlation cortex cortical decreased determined development diamagnetic digit diseases duke echoes efficient errors especially examples executive extracted fiber fluency forward frontal function functions good gradient gray hand hands healthiness healthy human impairment included inter interestingly iron known linear lobe local localizations made mainly making manually many matrix measure medical mental mini minimize minute model motor necessitate needed negatively neurological neurology north orientation paramagnetic pegboard performance pins positive potential previous radiology randomized ranging reduced reflect reflects regard regression related relationship removal responses scanned sclerosis score scores screen sensory series significance slice sorting spacing span spatial speed spherical strong studies subjects suggest summarized susceptibility system table tissue tissues tool track trail ultimately underwent unknown unwrapping validate variation various volunteers walking white word words yields