title: Neurovascular unit impairment in early Alzheimer's disease measured with magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: The neurovascular unit, which protects neuronal cells and supplies them with essential molecules, plays an important role in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The aim of this study was to noninvasively investigate 2 linked functional elements of the neurovascular unit, blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and cerebral blood flow (CBF), in patients with early AD and healthy controls. Therefore, both dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging were applied to measure BBB permeability and CBF, respectively. The patients with early AD showed significantly lower CBF and local blood volume in the gray matter, compared with controls. In the patients, we also found that a reduction in CBF is correlated with an increase in leakage rate. This finding supports the hypothesis that neurovascular damage, and in particular impairment of the neurovascular unit constitutes the pathophysiological link between CBF reduction and BBB impairment in AD.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Department of Neuropsychology and Psychiatry/Alzheimer Center Limburg, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Harm J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: van de Haar
authors.affiliation: Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jacobus F A
authors.initials: JFA
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Matthias J P
authors.initials: MJP
authors.lastname: van Osch
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: van Buchem
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Majon
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.affiliation: Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sau May
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Paul A M
authors.initials: PAM
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology and Psychiatry/Alzheimer Center Limburg, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Saartje
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burgmans
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology and Psychiatry/Alzheimer Center Limburg, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frans R J
authors.initials: FRJ
authors.lastname: Verhey
authors.affiliation: Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: w.backes@mumc.nl.
authors.forename: Walter H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Backes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Blood–brain barrier; Cerebral hemodynamics; Dementia; Magnetic resonance imaging