BACKGROUND: White matter lesions (WML) are prevalent in older adults. The
association between WML and cognition in different subtypes of Mild Cognitive Impairment
(MCI) is inconsistent in the literature.
OBJECTVES: We aim to provide a systematic review on the impact of WML in
different subtypes of MCI, and discuss the recent findings on white matter plasticity.
METHODS: We reviewed peer-reviewed articles from January 2011 to August 2016
and identified 12 studies investigating the association between WML and subtypes of MCI
with both neuroimaging and cognitive measures.
RESULTS: Our review shows that 1) WM abnormality was identified between
different subtypes of MCI and healthy controls on diffusion imaging; 2) neither visual
ratings of WML nor its volumetry differentiate different subtypes of MCI or its prognosis
to dementia; and 3) cognitive correlates of WML were evident in the Amnestic-type MCI in
the domains of memory, language, psychomotor speed, attention and executive functions.
CONCLUSION: Cognitive reserve and the plasticity of white matter may
modulate the impact of WML on the manifestation of the neurodegenerative disease. Further
research is needed to study the plasticity of white matter in the MCI population to
evaluate its potential clinical application.
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