Quantifying neuroinflammation within deep gray matter in small vessel disease using diffusion tensor based free-water...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Small vessel disease (SVD) is a common cause of cognitive impairment.
• Neuroinflammation in deep gray matter (DGM) is implicated in SVD-related cognitive decline.
• Free water (FW) imaging offers a novel method to assess neuroinflammation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess neuroinflammation in DGM of SVD patients using FW imaging.
• To investigate the relationship between FW values and cognitive function over 1-2 years.
• To explore FW imaging as a potential biomarker for SVD.

Main Methods:

• 170 SVD patients and 21 healthy controls (HCs) underwent baseline MRI and neuropsychological testing.
• SVD patients were categorized into no cognitive impairment (NCI) and vascular mild cognitive impairment (VaMCI) groups.
• Longitudinal analysis involved follow-up scans and correlation of FW value changes with cognitive alterations.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in DGM FW values were observed at baseline.
• VaMCI patients showed increased FW values in specific thalamic regions (left pulvinar, lateral nuclei) compared to NCI.
• Changes in FW values in the left pulvinar and right lateral nuclei correlated negatively with MoCA score changes in VaMCI patients.

Conclusions:

• Elevated FW values indicate preclinical neuroinflammation in SVD.
• Persistent increased FW values suggest its role in early SVD progression.
• FW imaging may serve as a valuable biomarker for cognitive decline mechanisms in SVD.