Gray matter perfusion correlates with disease severity in ALS.

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons.
• Current markers for ALS progression and treatment efficacy are limited.
• Arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI offers a non-invasive method to assess regional cerebral blood flow.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between regional brain perfusion measured by ASL MRI and clinical measures of ALS disease severity.
• To explore the potential of ASL perfusion as a biomarker for upper motor neuron involvement in ALS.

Main Methods:

• ASL MRI and structural T1-weighted MRI were acquired from 16 ALS patients.
• Clinical severity was assessed using the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS) and forced vital capacity (FVC).
• Statistical parametric mapping was used to analyze correlations between perfusion values and clinical/functional measures, adjusting for age and multiple clusters.

Main Results:

• ALS severity, assessed by ALSFRS and FVC, showed significant correlations with gray matter perfusion, primarily in the hemisphere contralateral to more affected limbs.
• ALSFRS scores correlated with perfusion in frontal and parietal lobes.
• Upper motor neuron involvement correlated with perfusion in the middle cingulate gyrus.

Conclusions:

• Regional brain perfusion measured by ASL MRI is correlated with ALS disease severity and upper motor neuron involvement.
• ASL perfusion shows potential as a non-invasive biomarker for monitoring ALS progression and evaluating therapeutic interventions, independent of brain atrophy.