In vivo whole-brain T1-rho mapping across adulthood: normative values and age dependence.
OBJECTIVE
To report a systematic investigation of variations in brain T1ρ (T1-rho) values over adulthood, and present normative values for cortical gray matter, juxtacortical white matter, selected white matter tracts and subcortical structures.


METHODS
Forty-one healthy control subjects (23 males aged 18-76 years and 18 females aged 21-73 years) were imaged at 3.0 Tesla (T) using a novel whole-brain T1ρ-weighted fluid suppressed three-dimensional turbo spin echo technique. T1ρ maps were calculated and atlas-based segmentation used to determine regional T1ρ values. Linear regression was used to determine changes in T1ρ with age.


RESULTS
T1ρ values showed significant decreases with age in cortical gray matter (P < 0.001), left and right caudate (P = 0.004/0.006), putamen (P = 0.001, P < 0.001), hippocampus (P = 0.039/0.010), amygdala (P = 0.002/0.001), and nucleus accumbens (P = 0.001/0.002). Significant increases with age (P < 0.05) were observed in all the white matter tracts considered, except the corticospinal tracts and forceps major.


CONCLUSIONS
T1ρ demonstrates changes related to the processes of normal aging.
UVM MRI Center for Biomedical Imaging, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, USA; Department of Radiology, Fletcher-Allen Healthcare, Burlington, Vermont, USA.
Richard
R
Watts
Trevor
T
Andrews
Scott
S
Hipko
Jay V
JV
Gonyea
Christopher G
CG
Filippi
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
MRI; T1-rho (T1rho, T1ρ); aging; brain; spin-lock