The Enhanced Interhemispheric Functional Connectivity in the Striatum Is Related to the Cognitive Impairment in Individuals With White Matter Hyperintensities

OBJECTIVE: The cognitive performance of individuals with white matter hyperintensities (WMH) tends to vary considerably. This study aimed to explore the relationship of the synchronous spontaneous activities in homotopic areas across hemispheres, named as voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC), with the cognitive performance of individuals with WMH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-two WMH subjects without cognitive impairment (CI), 56 WMH subjects with CI, and 92 healthy subjects (HS) underwent neuropsychological tests and multimodal magnetic resonance imaging scans. VMHC maps were analyzed among the three groups. Correlative analyses were performed between VMHC values and cognitive function. RESULTS: No significant difference in WMH volume, brain volume, or gray matter atrophy rate was shown between WMH subjects with and without CI. In contrast, those with CI displayed lower VMHC in the bilateral cuneus and calcarine and higher VMHC in the lentiform nucleus and caudate nucleus (LNCN) than those without CI. Furthermore, the VMHC in the LNCN was negatively associated with the global function and the memory function in WMH subjects. CONCLUSION: The enhanced VMHC in the LNCN was associated with the development of CI in individuals with WMH. This finding may contribute to the exploration of surrogate markers for the CI caused by WMH.