Deformation-based morphometry reveals lower brain tissue volume in autopsy confirmed limbic age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE)

Motivation: The association of limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy neuropathological change (LATE-NC) with brain morphometry has not been thoroughly investigated. Goal(s): To investigate gray and white matter morphometric abnormalities in LATE-NC in a large number of community-based older adults. Approach: This study combined deformation-based morphometry (DBM) in ex-vivo brain MRI and detailed neuropathological data on the same community-based older adults (N=897), and investigated the association of LATE-NC with brain morphometric characteristics using voxel-wise linear regression models. Results: LATE-NC was associated with lower volume in gray and white matter areas of temporal and frontal lobes and basal ganglia, consistent with the known pathological distribution of LATE-NC. Impact: The pattern of morphometric abnormality in LATE-NC that was generated in the present work may potentially be used in combination with other imaging and clinical information towards the development of a marker of this devastating neuropathology.