Cerebral microvascular lesions on high-resolution 7-Tesla MRI in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Cerebral small vessel disease, including microvascular lesions, is considered to play an important role in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)-associated cognitive deficits. With ultra-high field MRI, microvascular lesions (e.g., microinfarcts and microbleeds) can now be visualized in vivo. For the current study, 48 nondemented older individuals with T2DM (mean age 70.3 ± 4.1 years) and 49 age-, sex-, and education-matched control subjects underwent a 7-Tesla brain MRI scan and a detailed cognitive assessment. The occurrence of cortical microinfarcts and cerebral microbleeds was assessed on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery and T1-weighted and T2*-weighted images, respectively, compared between the groups, and related to cognitive performance. Microinfarcts were found in 38% of control subjects and 48% of patients with T2DM. Microbleeds were present in 41% of control subjects and 33% of patients (all P > 0.05). The presence and number of microinfarcts or microbleeds were unrelated to cognitive performance. This study showed that microvascular brain lesions on ultra-high field MRI are not significantly more common in well-controlled patients with T2DM than in control subjects.
Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands m.brundel-2@umcutrecht.nl.
Manon
M
Brundel
Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Yael D
YD
Reijmer
Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Susanne J
SJ
van Veluw
Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Hugo J
HJ
Kuijf
Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Peter R
PR
Luijten
Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
L Jaap
LJ
Kappelle
Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Geert Jan
GJ
Biessels
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D059345:Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000473:pathology*