Genetics of ageing-related changes in brain white matter integrity - A review

► Studying the genetics of white matter (WM) integrity may assist in clarifying the relationships between WM and ageing. ► There is a paucity of genetic studies examining WM integrity in older adults. ► To date, there are few heritability, linkage and genome-wide association studies investigating WM integrity. ► The most consistent results were found for APOE ɛ4 carriers, with decreased WM integrity (FA) in some brain regions.