Effect of White Matter Lesions on Brain Perfusion in Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

Background: This study examined the effect of white matter lesions (WMLs) on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods: Ninety-eight patients with AD were included in the study (40 men and 58 women; mean age, 78.1 years). Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ^99mTc ethyl cysteinate dimer single photon emission computed tomography were performed in all subjects. AD patients were divided into two subgroups according to the presence of WMLs on MRI. A voxel-by-voxel group analysis using Statistical Parametric Mapping 8 was used to detect the differences in rCBF between the two groups. Results: Fifty-seven of 98 AD patients (58%) showed mild to moderate WMLs on MRI. The prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher in AD patients with WMLs than in those without WMLs. AD patients with WMLs exhibited a significantly decreased rCBF in the anterior cingulate gyrus and insula, compared to AD patients without WMLs. Conclusion: We suggest that WMLs might influence brain regions associated with the limbic system in patients with AD.

Evaluation of Regional Cerebral Blood Flow in Alzheimer's Disease Patients with Subclinical Hypothyroidism

“…A voxel-by-voxel group analysis using SPM8 software (Department of Cognitive Neurology, University College London, UK) was performed according to previous studies [11,12]. The rCBF in each ROI was calculated using FineSRT, which is a fully automated ROI technique developed by Takeuchi et al [13].…”

Relationship between White Matter Lesions and Progression of Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer's Disease

“…The subjects were selected among outpatients with late-onset (onset at the age of 65 years or after) and mild-to-moderate stage AD [11-24 points in the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Clinical Dementia Rating score 1 or 2] attending the Department of Neurology and Neuromuscular Disorders, Oita University Hospital, Oita, Japan, between 2006 and 2011 [7]. We excluded patients with a history of stroke or cerebral infarction and diffuse and extensive white matter changes on brain MRI.…”

“…We excluded patients with a history of stroke or cerebral infarction and diffuse and extensive white matter changes on brain MRI. Other exclusion criteria, clinical evaluation, and routine laboratory tests were described elsewhere [7]. All subjects in the present study underwent MRI as a routine diagnostic procedure at baseline and were followed up for approximately 1 year after AChE-I therapy.…”

“…Some studies have shown a significant relationship between WMLs and global cognitive function or neuropsychological performance, whereas others have failed to find any such relationships [3,4,5,6]. Therefore, we have previously used brain perfusion SPECT to objectively evaluate the effect of WMLs on brain function in patients with AD [7]. We found that regional cerebral blood flow was significantly decreased in the limbic system in AD patients with WMLs compared to those without WMLs.…”

Development of 68Ga ethyl cysteinate dimer for PET studies

“…In last 3 decades this radiopharmaceutical has been used in detection and diagnosis of various cerebral flow related diseases in humans including Alzheimer's [4], strokes [5], major depressive disorders [6] etc.…”