Flow Chart.

<p>Study design and flow of participants through the study.</p

Cox proportional-hazard regression models for transition to MCI/dementia during the 7-year follow-up (n = 426, n. of events = 111).

*<p>Cox proportional hazard regression models with delayed entry were performed with age as the basic timescale and birth as the time origin.</p>†<p>In model 5, n = 416 and n. of events = 108.</p

Characteristics of the study participants (n = 426).

¶<p>n = 424.</p>§<p>n = 418.</p

Decision tree (built using the data on total WML volume and on relative WML volume in the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital regions as potential descriptors).

<p>The three distribution patterns could be used to discriminate between subjects who developed MCI/dementia and subjects who remained cognitively stable. Sensitivity: 29%, specificity: 88%, positive predictive value: 46%, negative predictive value: 78%. Temporal WMLr: (temporal WML volume/total WML volume) ×100.</p

Characteristics of the different WML distribution patterns.

<p>The characteristics of the three WML patterns were compared using ad hoc statistical tests (polytomous regressions for categorical variables, and ANOVA with Tukey's HSD comparison for continuous variables).</p>*<p>p value <0.05 versus Pattern 1.</p>†<p>p value <0.05 versus Pattern2.</p>¶<p>n _{pattern 1} = 317, n _{pattern 2} = 37, n _{pattern 3} = 70.</p>§<p>n _{pattern 1} = 316, n _{pattern 2} = 36, n _{pattern 3} = 66.</p

Mean absolute and relative regional WML volumes for the three patterns (black columns: pattern 1, grey columns: pattern 2, white columns: pattern 3).

<p>The scales of the graphics are different for the frontal/parietal and the temporal/occipital regions. (A) Frontal and parietal absolute WML volumes. (B) Relative (in percentage) WML volumes in the frontal (frontal WMLr) and parietal regions (parietal WMLr). (C) Temporal and occipital absolute WML volumes. (D) Relative (in percentage) WML in the temporal (temporal WMLr) and occipital regions (occipital WMLr). * p <0.01 versus pattern 1 (Tukey's HSD test).† p<0.01 versus pattern 2 (Tukey's HSD test).</p