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Assessing Cortical Cerebral Microinfarcts on High Resolution MR Images
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Cerebral cortical microinfarcts at 7Tesla MRI in patients with early Alzheimer's disease

Susanne J van Veluw1, Sophie M Heringa1, Hugo J Kuijf2

  • 1Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Journal of Alzheimer'S Disease : JAD
|October 15, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Cerebral microinfarcts (CMIs) were detectable in vivo in early Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and controls. This study found no significant difference in CMI occurrence between groups, challenging previous autopsy findings.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Neuroimaging
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Cerebral microinfarcts (CMIs) are common in aging and dementia research.
  • In vivo detection of CMIs is a recent advancement.
  • Autopsy studies suggest CMIs are prevalent in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the occurrence of CMIs in individuals with mild cognitive impairment or early AD using 7Tesla MRI.
  • To compare CMI prevalence in early AD patients versus non-demented controls.
  • To explore the relationship between CMIs and microbleeds in early AD.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized 7Tesla MRI for in vivo CMI detection.
  • Recruited 29 patients with mild cognitive impairment or early AD.
  • Included 22 non-demented individuals as controls.

Main Results:

  • CMI occurrence was 55% in patients and 45% in controls, with no significant difference.
  • A trend suggested a relationship between CMI number and microbleed number in patients (p = 0.07).
  • This in vivo study did not replicate findings from prior autopsy studies on CMIs in early AD.

Conclusions:

  • In vivo CMI detection in early AD patients did not reveal a significantly higher prevalence compared to controls.
  • The role of CMIs in the pathophysiology of early AD requires further investigation.
  • Future research should focus on clarifying the association between CMIs and AD progression.
Keywords:
Alzheimer's diseasemagnetic resonance imagingmicrobleedsmicroinfarctsmild cognitive impairment

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