Leukoaraiosis (LA) is found in 39% population and in 96% population above 60 years. LA is associated with cognitive impairment in the older people which can be demonstrated in functional connectivity (FC) based on resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). This study is to explore the FC changes in LA patients with different cognitive status by 3 network models. Fifty-three patients with LA were divided into 3 groups: the normal cognition (LA-NC) (n=14, 6 males), mild cognitive impairment (LA-MCI) (n=27, 13 males), and vascular dementia (LA-VD) (n=12, 6 males), according to the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR). The 3 groups and 30 matched healthy controls(HC) (11males) underwent rs-fMRI. The data of rs-fMRI were analyzed by independent components analysis (ICA) and region of interest (ROI) analysis by the REST toolbox.Then the FC was respectively analyzed by the default-mode network (DMN), salience networks (SN) and the central executive network (CEN) with their results compared among the different groups. For inter-brain network analysis, there were negative FC between the SN and DMN in LA groups, and the FC decreased when compared with HC group. While there were enhanced inter-brain network FC between the SN and CEN as well as within the SN. The functional connectivity in patients with LA can be detected by different network models of rs-fMRI. The multi-model analysis is helpful for the further understanding of the cognitive changes in those patients.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WHITE MATTER MICROSTRUCTURE CHANGES AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH WHITE MATTER HYPERINTENSITIES: A DIFFUSION TENSOR IMAGING STUDY