Dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI of regional cerebral blood volume in Alzheimer's disease.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential effectiveness of dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to discriminate elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease from normal matched comparison subjects.


METHODS
Images of regional cerebral blood volume (CBV) were generated from echo-planar MRI with the dynamic susceptibility contrast method in 13 Alzheimer's disease patients and 13 comparison subjects group-matched on age and gender.


RESULTS
Temporoparietal cerebral blood volume, expressed as a percentage of the cerebellum value, was reduced 17% bilaterally in the patients with Alzheimer's disease. Blood volume in sensorimotor regions was reduced only 8.5% in the patients. Discriminant function analysis based on left and right temporoparietal measures correctly classified 88.5% of the subjects as patients or comparison subjects. Temporoparietal CBV was reduced even in mildly affected Alzheimer's disease patients (Mini-Mental State scores > 24).


CONCLUSIONS
Dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI of regional CBV is promising as a nonradioactive, potentially lower-cost alternative to other functional neuroimaging methods for evaluating Alzheimer's disease.
Harris
G J
GJ
Department of Psychiatry, New England Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Lewis
R F
RF
Satlin
A
A
English
C D
CD
Scott
T M
TM
Yurgelun-Todd
D A
DA
Renshaw
P F
PF
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001810:Blood Volume; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D009942:Organometallic Compounds
D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C062402:gadoteridol; D005682:Gadolinium