Apathy is recognized as a prevalent behavioral symptom of amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI). In aMCI, apathy is associated with an increased risk and increases the risk of progression to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Previous DTI study in aMCI showed that apathy has been associated with white matter alterations in the cingulum, middle and inferior longitudinal fasciculus, fornix, and uncinate fasciculus. However, the underlying white matter correlates associated with apathy in aMCI are still unclear. We investigated this relationship using whole-brain diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Twenty-nine aMCI patients and 20 matched cognitively healthy controls were included. Apathy severity was assessed using the Apathy Evaluation Scale Clinician version. We applied the tract-based spatial statistics analyses to DTI parameters: fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity to investigate changes in white matter pathways associated with the severity of apathy. No significant difference was found in any of the DTI parameters between aMCI and the control group. In aMCI, higher severity of apathy was associated with lower FA in various white matter pathways including the left anterior part of inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus/ uncinate fasciculus, genu and body of the corpus callosum, superior and anterior corona radiata, anterior thalamic radiation of both hemispheres and in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus/ anterior segment of arcuate fasciculus (p< .05, TFCE-corrected) after controlling for age, gender and GDS non-apathy. A trend association was observed in the right posterior corona radiata and corticospinal tract/ internal capsule, and bilateral forceps minor (p< .065, TFCE-corrected). In conclusion, in aMCI, severity of apathy is associated with aberrant white matter integrity in widely distributed pathways, within and between hemispheres.

冷漠被认为是轻度认知障碍（aMCI）的普遍行为症状。在aMCI中，冷漠与增加的风险相关，并增加了发展为阿尔茨海默氏病（AD）的风险。先前在aMCI中进行的DTI研究表明，冷漠与扣带，中部和下部纵筋膜，穹ni和单齿筋膜中的白质变化有关。但是，尚不清楚与aMCI中的冷漠相关的潜在白质相关性。我们使用全脑扩散张量成像（DTI）研究了这种关系。包括29名aMCI患者和20名匹配的认知健康对照。使用冷漠评估量表临床版本评估冷漠严重程度。我们将基于区域的空间统计分析应用于DTI参数：分数各向异性（FA），平均扩散率，轴向扩散率和径向扩散率，以研究与冷漠严重程度相关的白质途径的变化。在aMCI和对照组之间的任何DTI参数中均未发现显着差异。在aMCI中，各种白质途径（包括额枕下筋膜/前束状筋膜的左前部分，call体的属和身体、,的上，前放射，放射状的前丘脑放射）的各种白质途径中，较低的FA与较低的病情严重程度相关。半球和右上纵筋膜/弓状筋膜前段（在aMCI和对照组之间的任何DTI参数中均未发现显着差异。在aMCI中，各种白质途径（包括额枕下筋膜/前束状筋膜的左前部分，call体的属和身体、,的上，前放射，放射状的前丘脑放射）的各种白质途径中，较低的FA与较低的病情严重程度相关。半球和右上纵筋膜/弓状筋膜前段（在aMCI和对照组之间的任何DTI参数中均未发现显着差异。在aMCI中，各种白质途径（包括额枕下筋膜/前束状筋膜的左前部分，call体的属和身体、,的上，前放射，放射状的前丘脑放射）的各种白质途径中，较低的FA与较低的病情严重程度相关。半球和右上纵筋膜/弓状筋膜前段（p <.05，经TFCE校正后）可控制年龄，性别和非正常GDS。在右后部电晕放射线和皮质脊髓束/内囊以及双侧小镊子中观察到趋势关联（p <.065，TFCE校正）。总之，在aMCI中，冷漠的严重程度与半球内和半球之间广泛分布的途径中异常的白质完整性有关。