Baseline white matter microstructural integrity is not related to cognitive decline after 5years: The RUN DMC study

Traditional markers of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) are related to cognition and cognitive decline, but this relation is weak. Therefore other factors may determine the transition from intact cognitive performance to cognitive decline, such as the damage of the cerebral white matter at the microstructural level. Little is known about the association between microstructural integrity of the white matter and changes in cognition. In this study we investigated the relation between baseline microstructural integrity and change in cognitive function.