Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39925008›Full record

ArticleBrain and behavior2025

The Interaction Between Cognitive Abilities and White Matter Hyperintensity Phenotypes: A Novel Perspective on Bidirectional Causality.

Xiaolu Ren, Ting Li, Fang Li, Shan Liu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Brain and behavior, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Xiaolu RenDepartment of Radiology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
Ting LiDepartment of Radiology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
Fang LiDepartment of Neurology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
Shan LiuDepartment of Radiology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis study utilizes bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) to examine the causal relationships between white matter hyperintensity (WMH) phenotypes-namely, WMH volume, fractional anisotropy (FA), and mean diffusivity (MD)-and cognitive abilities, including cognitive performance, intelligence, and overall cognitive function.

methodsThis study leverages genetic variation data from genome-wide association study (GWAS) datasets and employs a bidirectional two-sample MR analysis. The analysis incorporates MR Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, and inverse variance weighted (IVW) methods to assess the bidirectional causal relationship between cognitive abilities and WMH volume, FA, and MD.

resultsThis study employed MR to explore the causal relationships between WMH volume, FA, MD, and cognitive outcomes. Most MR methods yielded nonsignificant p values (>0.05) and wide confidence intervals. Heterogeneity tests indicated no significant heterogeneity or pleiotropy between WMH volume and cognitive performance or intelligence. However, significant heterogeneity was found between WMH volume and cognitive function, FA with cognitive performance and intelligence, and MD with cognitive performance and intelligence. Reverse analysis also revealed no significant causal relationships.

conclusionsThis study suggests that the bidirectional causal effects between cognitive abilities and WMH volume, FA, and MD are minimal or nonsignificant and highlights data heterogeneity as a concern.

Indexed as

CognitionIntelligenceWhite MatterAgedAnisotropyBrainDiffusion Tensor ImagingFemaleGenome-Wide Association StudyHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMendelian Randomization AnalysisMiddle AgedPhenotypebidirectionalcausal relationshipcognitive functionhyperintensity volumeMendelian randomizationwhite matter

Identifiers

PMID39925008
PMCPMC11808190

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.