title: Relationship between white matter lesions and regional cerebral blood flow changes during longitudinal follow up in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between baseline white matter lesions (WML) and changes in regional cerebral blood flow during longitudinal follow up of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 38 patients with AD were included in the study (16 men, 22 women; mean age 77.8 years). All patients were evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination and brain perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography at baseline with an approximately 2-year follow up. The patients were divided into two subgroups according to the presence of WML on magnetic resonance imaging. Single-photon emission computed tomography data were analyzed using a voxel-by-voxel group analysis with Statistical Parametric Mapping 8 and region of interest analysis using FineSRT. Changes in Mini-Mental State Examination scores and regional cerebral blood flow were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean Mini-Mental State Examination scores in AD patients with WML significantly decreased from 19.4 ± 4.8 to 15.5 ± 6.5 (P = 0.003). Statistical Parametric Mapping 8 and FineSRT analysis showed more severe and widespread regional cerebral blood flow reduction, mainly in the frontal and mesial temporal regions in AD patients with WML compared with those without WML.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Baseline WML could predict a rapid progression of cognitive and brain functional impairment during longitudinal follow up in AD. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 836-842.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita, Japan.
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hanaoka
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aso
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita, Japan.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takemaru
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita, Japan.
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita, Japan.
authors.forename: Etsuro
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matsubara
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D066127:White Matter / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; brain perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography; regional cerebral blood flow; white matter lesions