White matter microstructural abnormalities in amnestic mild cognitive impairment: A meta-analysis of whole-brain and ROI-based studies

•ROI-based meta-analysis revealed robust white matter alterations in aMCI.•Alterations were in the fornix, uncinate fasciculus and parahippocampal cingulum.•Alterations in MD, relative to FA, may better characterize aMCI.•White matter alterations have significant implications for aMCI research. Studies that examined white matter (WM) alterations in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) abound. This timely meta-analysis aims to synthesize the results of these studies. Seventy-seven studies (totalNaMCI=1844) were included. Fourteen region-of-interest-based (ROI-based) (k≥8;NaMCI≥284 per ROI) and two activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analyses (fractional anisotropy [FA]: k=15;NaMCI=463; mean diffusivity [MD]: k=8;NaMCI=193) were carried out. Among the many significant ROI-related findings, reliable FA and MD alterations in the fornix, uncinate fasciculus, and parahippocampal cingulum were observed in aMCI. Larger effects were observed in MD relative to FA. The ALE meta-analysis revealed a significant FA decrease among aMCI subjects in the posterior corona radiata. These results provide robust evidence of the presence of WM abnormalities in aMCI. Our findings also highlight the importance of carrying out both ROI-based and whole-brain-based research to obtain a complete picture of WM microstructural alterations associated with the condition..