| Poster | Poster Session 04 Program Schedule
02/15/2024
12:00 pm - 01:15 pm
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)
Poster Session 04: Neuroimaging | Neurostimulation/Neuromodulation | Teleneuropsychology/Technology
Final Abstract #113
The Impact of Metabolic Syndrome on White Matter Integrity in Post-9/11 Veterans
Emily Van Etten, VA Boston, Boston, United States
Aubrey Knoff, VA Boston, Boston, United States
Shannon McNally, VA Boston, Boston, United States
William Milberg, VA Boston, Boston, United States
Catherine Fortier, VA Boston, Boston, United States
David Salat, VA Boston, Boston, United States
Elizabeth Leritz, VA Boston, Boston, United States
Category: Neuroimaging
Keyword 1: cardiovascular disease
Keyword 2: neuroimaging: structural connectivity
Objective:
Metabolic syndrome (MetS), the clustering of three or more cardiovascular risk factors, has been associated with reduced white matter integrity (WMI) in aging. However, previous studies examining the effects of MetS on brain structure have primarily focused on middle-aged and older adult participants, whereas less is known about MetS-related differences in WMI at younger ages. Given the prevalence of MetS is increasing in young adults, it is important to better understand WMI alterations associated with MetS earlier in the adult life course to identify risk factors for worsening cerebrovascular disease. Further, the Veteran population may be especially vulnerable for MetS at younger ages, as they have higher rates of both physical and psychological factors that contribute to MetS. Therefore, the present study examined differences in global and regional WMI between MetS groups in a large cohort of post-9/11 Veterans.
Participants and Methods:
A sample of 667 post-9/11 Veteran participants 18-67 years of age (Mean + SD = 34.26 + 8.84) were included from the Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS) study. MetS was defined as ≥ 3 factors of: increased waist circumference, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, hypertension, and high fasting glucose levels. Volumetric T1 and diffusion weighted 3T MRI scans were processed using the FreeSurfer image analysis suite and FSL Diffusion Toolbox (FDT). Atlas-based regions-of-interest (ROIs) were determined with the Freesurfer MNI152/Johns Hopkins University white matter labels atlas and analyses included the 66 gyral defined ROIs. All analyses were controlled for age, gender, education, number of military close blasts, number of lifetime traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), site, scanner, and motion during scan.
Results:
An Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) revealed individuals with MetS (n = 134) had significantly lower global fractional anisotropy (FA; p = .007) than those without MetS (n = 533). In contrast, there were no significant differences between the groups in global mean diffusivity (MD). Follow-up analyses with the individual MetS components indicated HDL cholesterol level was the only factor that significantly influenced global FA levels, with lower HDL cholesterol levels relating to lower FA. After a false discovery rate correction per lobe was applied, a MANCOVA with all cortical WMI ROIs revealed individuals with MetS displayed decreased FA in multiple bilateral frontal and left parietal regions when compared to those without MetS.
Conclusions:
Our findings indicate MetS is prevalent in our younger Veteran sample and is related to reduced WMI in frontal and parietal regions, suggesting that increased vascular risk within the Veteran population may impact brain health.
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