Differential spatial effects of Alzheimer-related pathology on white matter
fibres of the corpus callosum 
   Lead Investigator:    Brian Scally
   Institution      :    University of Leeds
   E-Mail           :    b.scally@leeds.ac.uk
   Proposal ID      :    971



   Proposal Description:
   The goal of the current project is to assess whether specific white matter fibres of the corpus callosum are susceptible to the effects of Alzheimer's dementia (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Recent imaging initiatives suggest that the posterior sections of the corpus callosum (i.e. the splenium) that are preserved in healthy ageing may be targeted by MCI and AD. However, few if any studies have considered that the fibres which traverse the splenium project to functionally distinct regions (occipital, parietal and temporal gray matter). We propose to conduct fibre tractography analysis on the NACC DTI dataset to test the hypothesis that functionally distinct splenial white matter pathways are differentially affected by AD pathology. Identifying sub-tracts that are specifically affected by MCI and AD may serve to develop sensitive markers of preclinical and prodromal AD in future initiatives.