Effect of White Matter Lesions on Brain Perfusion in Alzheimer’s Disease

Background: This study examined the effect of white matter lesions (WMLs) on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods: Ninety-eight patients with AD were included in the study (40 men and 58 women; mean age, 78.1 years). Cognitive function was assessed u...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders 2012-01, Vol.34 (3-4), p.256-261
Main Authors: Kimura, Noriyuki, Nakama, Hiroshi, Nakamura, Kenichirou, Aso, Yasuhiro, Kumamoto, Toshihide
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Alzheimer Disease - pathology
Alzheimer Disease - physiopathology
Biological and medical sciences
Brain - blood supply
Brain - diagnostic imaging
Cerebrovascular Circulation - physiology
Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases
Female
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects)
Leukoencephalopathies - diagnostic imaging
Leukoencephalopathies - physiopathology
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods
Male
Medical sciences
Nervous system
Neuroimaging - instrumentation
Neuroimaging - methods
Neurology
Neuropsychological Tests
Original Research Article
Radiography
Technetium
Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon - methods
Ultrasonic investigative techniques
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Summary:Background: This study examined the effect of white matter lesions (WMLs) on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods: Ninety-eight patients with AD were included in the study (40 men and 58 women; mean age, 78.1 years). Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 99m Tc ethyl cysteinate dimer single photon emission computed tomography were performed in all subjects. AD patients were divided into two subgroups according to the presence of WMLs on MRI. A voxel-by-voxel group analysis using Statistical Parametric Mapping 8 was used to detect the differences in rCBF between the two groups. Results: Fifty-seven of 98 AD patients (58%) showed mild to moderate WMLs on MRI. The prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher in AD patients with WMLs than in those without WMLs. AD patients with WMLs exhibited a significantly decreased rCBF in the anterior cingulate gyrus and insula, compared to AD patients without WMLs. Conclusion: We suggest that WMLs might influence brain regions associated with the limbic system in patients with AD.
ISSN:1420-8008
1421-9824
DOI:10.1159/000345184