Are MoCA subdomains deficits linked to white matter changes in early Huntington’s disease? A diffusion MRI approach

This study explored the relationship between the Montreal Cognitive Assessment’s (MoCA) subdomains and white matter changes in Huntington's disease (HD). Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were measured using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) in 22 early manifest HD patients and 20 healthy controls. Tract-Based Spatial Statistics was used to compare the two groups and correlate patients’ FA and MD values with their performance in MoCA subdomains. Among all MoCA subdomains, only visuospatial performance was associated with white matter integrity in the corpus callosum, corona radiata, and superior longitudinal fasciculus, supporting the feasibility of combining DTI analysis with screening tools to monitor non-motor symptoms.