The preliminary study on assessment of cerebral blood flow by arterial spin-labeling magnetic resonance imaging in patients with Alzheimer's disease / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the clinical utility of arterial spin-labeling (ASL) magnetic resonance(MR)imaging for the detection of cerebral blood flow (CBF) abnormalities in patients with Alzheimer disease(AD). Methods Twenty-two subjects with probable AD and twenty normal control subjects underwent ASL and structural MR imaging. Among them, 16 AD patients and 11 control subjects were also examined with single photon emission computed tomography(SPECT). The CBF images were obtained by processing ASL perfusion data. The CBF values of bilateral frontal lobe, temporal lobe, temporoparietal junction, parietal lobe, occipital cortices and hippocampal areas were measured by CBF images. And the CBF values of cerebral structures between AD and control subjects were compared. Results ASL perfusion imaging in AD revealed marked hypoperfusion mainly in temporal lobe (72.7%), temporoparietal junction (54.5%), parietal lobe(45.5%). The brain regions involved were similar to those seen with SPECT. The CBF values of bilateral frontal lobe, temporal lobe, temporoparietal junction, parietal lobe and hippocampal areas were significantly decreased compared with control subjects (all P<0.05). The CBF values of right frontal lobe, left temporoparietal junction, left parietal lobe in patients with AD were positively correlated with the mini-mental state examination score (r= 0.49, 0.54, 0.64, all P<0.05). Conclusions ASL MR imaging can show regional hypoperfusion in AD patients, which is similar to that seen with SPECT. The results suggest ASL MR imaging is an useful tool for assessment of cerebral blood flow in patients with AD.