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[O1‐03‐02]: Regional decline of brain perfusion in healthy aging detected with arterial spin labeling at 4T
Author(s) -
Schuff Norbert W.,
Du An-Tao,
Jahng Geonho,
Mueller Susanne,
Stables Laura,
Cashdollar Nathan,
Weiner Michael W.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2005.06.293
Subject(s) - perfusion , cognitive decline , atrophy , posterior cingulate , medicine , perfusion scanning , cardiology , middle frontal gyrus , precentral gyrus , magnetic resonance imaging , neuroscience , psychology , cognition , radiology , dementia , disease
Healthy aging is associated with gradual but progressive decline of cognitive function, but the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. Anatomical MRI studies of aging report gray and white matter loss, especially in the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes (1, 2). On the other hand, whether cerebral perfusion also declines with healthy aging remains controversial (3). Moreover, failure to correct for brain atrophy may have confounded previous findings of perfusion changes with age (3). Using arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI at 1.5T, we previously found a weak inverse relationship between brain perfusion and age, after correction for brain atrophy (4). However, the sensitivity to measure perfusion was limited by poor signal-to-noise of ASL at 1.5T. Since ASL sensitivity increases substantially at higher magnetic fields (5), we performed an ASL pilot study at 4T on aging. Specifically, our goal was to explore if ASL-MRI at 4T detects a regional pattern of diminished brain perfusion with age.