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Published on: April 23, 2021
Regional cerebral perfusion alterations in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease using
Thomas Hauser1, Peter Schönknecht, Philipp A Thomann
1Department of Radiology E010, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany. t.hauser@dkfz.de
Rationale And Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to assess regional cerebral perfusion distribution in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) using dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging.
Materials And Methods:
Regional changes of perfusion were evaluated in 34 patients with AD, 51 patients with MCI, and 23 healthy controls (HCs). Using region of interest analyses, regional cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume, and mean transit time were measured bilaterally in the hippocampus; the temporal, temporoparietal, frontal, and sensomotoric cortices; the anterior and posterior cingulate gyri; the lentiform nucleus; and the cerebellum.
Results:
A significant reduction of CBF in patients with AD compared to HCs was shown in the frontal and temporoparietal cortices bilaterally, the lentiform nuclei bilaterally, the left posterior cingulate gyrus, and the cerebellum. Compared with patients with MCI, patients with AD presented a reduction of CBF in the frontal cortices bilaterally, the left temporoparietal cortex, and the left anterior and posterior cingulate gyrus. In both hippocampi and the posterior cingulate gyrus, a trend to a slight increase of CBF in patients with MCI was noticed with a decrease in patients with AD.
Conclusions:
Using dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging, pathologic alterations of regional brain perfusion can be demonstrated in patients with AD compared to patients with MCI or HCs.
Insights
Dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI reveals reduced cerebral blood flow (CBF) in Alzheimer disease (AD) patients compared to healthy controls. These perfusion changes in Alzheimer disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) highlight regional brain alterations.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- Radiology
Background:
- Alzheimer disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are associated with neurodegenerative processes affecting brain function.
- Assessing regional cerebral perfusion is crucial for understanding disease progression and differentiating between AD and MCI.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate regional cerebral perfusion distribution in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
- To utilize dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MRI) for assessing perfusion parameters.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 34 AD patients, 51 MCI patients, and 23 healthy controls (HCs) underwent DSC-MRI.
- Region of interest (ROI) analyses were performed to measure regional cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume, and mean transit time in specific brain areas.
Main Results:
- Patients with AD showed significantly reduced CBF in frontal and temporoparietal cortices, lentiform nuclei, posterior cingulate gyrus, and cerebellum compared to HCs.
- AD patients exhibited lower CBF in frontal and temporoparietal cortices, and anterior/posterior cingulate gyri compared to MCI patients.
- MCI patients demonstrated a trend towards increased CBF in the hippocampus and posterior cingulate gyrus, contrasting with a decrease in AD patients.
Conclusions:
- Dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MRI) effectively demonstrates pathological alterations in regional brain perfusion in AD and MCI.
- These findings support the utility of DSC-MRI in distinguishing between AD, MCI, and healthy controls based on perfusion patterns.
