Abstract TP236: Quantifying White Matter Microstructure and Cognitive Performance Following Ischemic Sub-Acute Stroke for Black and non-Black Individuals

Introduction: The microstructure of normal appearing white matter (NAWM) from MRI is an emerging biomarker for recovery following acute ischemic stroke. Individuals from disadvantaged health equity environments, such as Black Americans, exhibit medical risk factors that affect the structural properties of NAWM. We investigated whether diffusion MRI (dMRI) metrics differ between Black and non-Black stroke survivors and whether these metrics are associated with cognitive performance. Hypothesis: NAWM in Black stroke survivors will have atypical dMRI properties compared to non-Black stroke survivors, and these differences will be associated with cognitive function. Methods: Participants (PPT) with first-time acute mild ischemic stroke (n=28; 8 Black; 8 female; mean age 64.9±11.3 years, NIHSS median=0, IQR=0-1) were enrolled at onset. Imaging was performed on a 3T Siemens Prisma MRI scanner using an advanced multi-shell dMRI protocol and scored on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA, median=26, IQR=25.75-27.75) at 1-month post-stroke. dMRI preprocessing followed established methods to estimate fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD). Voxel-wise analyses compared groups and tested associations with MoCA performance (p