title: Elevated arteriolar cerebral blood volume in prodromal Huntington's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neurovascular alterations have been implicated in the pathophysiology of Huntington's disease (HD). Because arterioles are most responsive to metabolic alterations, arteriolar cerebral blood volume (CBVa) is an important indicator of cerebrovascular regulation. The objective of this pilot study was to investigate potential neurovascular (CBVa ) abnormality in prodromal-HD patients and compare it with the widely used imaging marker: brain atrophy.
  
  
  METHODS
  CBVa and brain volumes were measured with ultra-high-field (7.0-Telsa) magnetic resonance imaging in seven prodromal-HD patients and nine age-matched controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cortical CBVa was elevated significantly in prodromal-HD patients compared with controls (relative difference, 38.5%; effect size, 1.48). Significant correlations were found between CBVa in the frontal cortex and genetic measures. By contrast, no significant brain atrophy was detected in the prodromal-HD patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CBVa may be abnormal in prodromal-HD, even before substantial brain atrophy occurs. Further investigation with a larger cohort and longitudinal follow-up is merited to determine whether CBVa could be used as a potential biomarker for clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of Magnetic Resonance Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.forename: Paul G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Unschuld
authors.forename: Russell L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Margolis
authors.forename: Peter C M
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: van Zijl
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001810:Blood Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: atrophy; biomarker; imaging; neurodegeneration; neurovascular