Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
Whole-brain Segmentation and Change-point Analysis of Anatomical Brain MRI—Application in Premanifest Huntington's Disease
Published on: June 9, 2018
Longitudinal changes in the ALPS index and its clinical correlates in patients with basal ganglia hemorrhage
Zhaofeng Su1, Jiajia Chen1, Peng Wu2
1Department of Radiology, Suzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Suzhou, China.
Objective:
To evaluate the robustness of Diffusion Tensor Image Analysis Along the Perivascular Space (DTI-ALPS) index, and to investigate its correlation with clinical characteristics in patients following basal ganglia hemorrhage.
Methods:
(1) Twenty-three age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled and underwent DTI scans using both 15-direction and 32-direction sequences. The differences and consistency of ALPS index between the two protocols were compared. (2) A mixed cross-sectional and longitudinal study was conducted on 56 patients. Patients were divided into three groups by time since hemorrhage: ≤ 14 days, 3 months and 1 year. The ALPS index was calculated and compared among patient groups and against healthy controls. Correlations between the ALPS index with hematoma volume and the Brunnstrom recovery stage for the hand (BRS-H) were analyzed.
Results:
(1) Comparison of ALPS index calculated from 15-direction and 32-direction DTI data revealed significant differences in the left hemisphere (ALPS-L) between the two protocols, while no statistically significant difference was observed in the right hemisphere (ALPS-R) and the bilateral mean (ALPS-mean). The consistency between the two protocols was excellent across all groups (ICC = 0.959-0.981, p < 0.05). (2) ① ALPS index differed significantly among the three patient groups (p < 0.05). ALPS index for each group were as follows: Group A (n = 34): 1.24 ± 0.03; Group B (n = 12): 1.14 ± 0.04; Group C (n = 10): 1.18 ± 0.04. The ALPS index in all patient groups were significantly lower than in controls (p < 0.001). ② No significant correlation was found between the ALPS index and the BRS-H (r = 0.219, p > 0.05). ③ Overall, no significant correlation was observed between ALPS index and hematoma volume (r = -0.252, p > 0.05). However, stratified analysis showed a significant negative correlation in the ≤ 10 mL subgroup (r = -0.529, p < 0.05), but not in the > 10 mL subgroup (r = -0.091, p > 0.05).
Conclusion:
Basal ganglia hemorrhage is associated with impaired glymphatic function, with partial recovery after 3 months. The ALPS index showed a significant negative correlation with hematoma volume, supporting its sensitivity to hematoma-induced brain injury.
