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Detection of changes in the locus coeruleus in patients with mild cognitive impairment and A lzheimer's disease: High‐resolution fast spin‐echo T 1‐weighted imaging
Author(s) -
Takahashi Junko,
Shibata Toshihide,
Sasaki Makoto,
Kudo Masako,
Yanezawa Hisashi,
Obara Satoko,
Kudo Kohsuke,
Ito Kenji,
Yamashita Fumio,
Terayama Yasuo
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
geriatrics and gerontology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1447-0594
pISSN - 1444-1586
DOI - 10.1111/ggi.12280
Subject(s) - locus coeruleus , medicine , alzheimer's disease , cognitive impairment , disease , cardiology , audiology , neuroscience , pathology , psychology , central nervous system
Aim Neuronal degeneration in the locus coeruleus occurs in the early phase of A lzheimer's disease, similar to mild cognitive impairment. The locus coeruleus produces norepinephrine, a deficiency of which causes both memory disturbance and psychological symptoms. Thus, we evaluated signal alterations in the locus coeruleus of patients with A lzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment using a high‐resolution fast spin‐echo T 1‐weighted imaging. Methods A total of 22 patients with A lzheimer's disease, 47 patients with mild cognitive impairment and 26 healthy controls were prospectively examined by high‐resolution fast spin‐echo T 1‐weighted imaging at 3 T esla. Signal intensities in the locus coeruleus were manually measured and expressed relative to those in the adjacent white matter structures as contrast ratios. Results Locus coeruleus contrast ratios were significantly reduced in patient groups with A lzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment that converted to A lzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment that did not convert to A lzheimer's disease (1.80–16.09% [median, 9.30%], 3.45–14.84% [median 6.87%] and 3.01–19.19% [median 7.72%], respectively) compared with the healthy control group (6.24–20.94% [median 14.35%]; P < 0.0001). The sensitivity and specificity for discriminating these diseases were 85.0% and 69.2%, respectively, which suggests that this measurement can be carried out reliably. There was no significant difference in the locus coeruleus contrast ratios among the A lzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment‐converted and mild cognitive impairment‐non‐converted groups. Conclusions High‐resolution fast spin‐echo T 1‐weighted imaging can show signal attenuation in the locus coeruleus of patients with A lzheimer's disease or with mild cognitive impairment whose pathology may or may not eventually convert to A lzheimer's disease. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; 15: 334–340.