Microvascular Morphology MR Imaging Using Relaxation Rate Change with Gadolinium‐Based Contrast Agent in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

Background Conventional MRI techniques cannot demonstrate microvascular alterations in mild and moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Thus, the diagnosis of pathology commonly relies on postmortem. The purpose this study was to evaluate structures patients with AD using a 3T clinical system commercially available contrast agent. Method Eleven 11 non-AD controls were included cross-sectional prospective study. R2 R2* relaxation rate changes (∆R2 ∆R2*) before after Gd-based agent injection calculated from images obtained multi-echo turbo spin-echo sequence gradient-echo obtain index maps blood volume fraction (BVf), mean vessel diameter (mVD), size (VSI), density (Q), microvessel-weighted imaging (MvWI). Two-sample t-test used compare those values between two groups. Correlation analysis performed relationship mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score. Result Compared group, BVf significantly increased group at parahippocampal gyrus (p = 0.033), gray matter area 0.008), white 0.010). MvWI also hippocampus 0.010), precuneus 0.045), globus pallidus 0.008). Both mVD VSI only decreased hyperintensity (WMHI) 0.045 mVD; p 0.033 VSI). positively correlated age some areas. MMSE caudate (rho 0.475/ 0.030) corpus callosum 0.435/ 0.049). Conclusion Microvascular useful non-invasive method morphology alteration. manifested as constriction increasing fraction. It associated