Luiz Celso Hygino Da Cruz MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Fabiana B Ferreira MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Patricia Tanaka MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Roberto Cortes Domingues MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Joanna Souza MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Romeu Cortes Domingues MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To investigate the integrity of he main fiber tracts in patients with Alzheimer’s diasease (AD). To determine whether diffusion tensor imaging (DTi) can be used to assess AD. To characterize the extent and nature of white matter tissue damage.

MR standard protocol and DTi were performed in 48 patients (19men, 29women, mean age 65.6y, MMSE 6-21) who met the NINCDS-ADRDA criterias of clinically probable Alzheimer’s disease and 30 healthy controls subjects (18men, 12women; mean age63.3y, MMSE>28) without dementia. All subjects were submitted to MR exams using a MR standard protocol and DTi on a 1.5T clinical scanner. DT MRi was obtained with echo-planar SE with diffusion gradient b values of 0 and 1000 sec/mm2 applied in six different directions. Fractional anisotropy (FA) values were obtained from DT MRi data. Identical regions of interest (ROIs) were placed by a single observer in the hippocampus, splenium of the corpus callosum and in the left and in the right posterior cingulate gyri.

No significant difference was demonstrated in the FA values of the left and right hippocampus as well as between the right and left posterior cingulate gyri. A reduction in the FA values was noted in all regions analyzed. Although there was a reduction in the FA values in the hippocampus of AD patients (0.174) when compared with the normal subjects (0.204), a statiscally significant difference was not demonstrated. However, a significant reduction in the FA values were noted in the splenium of the corpus callosum (0.519 in AD and 0.680 in the control group) as well as in the posterior cingulate gyri (0.452 in AD and 0.550 in normal subjects).

DTi can be used to assess patients with probable AD and may be of great utility in the management and to verify the prognosis of these disease. The technical difficult to evaluate the hippocampus, due to its anatomy and localization, may be the cause that no statiscally difference was found.

Da Cruz, L, Ferreira, F, Tanaka, P, Domingues, R, Souza, J, Domingues, R, Assessment of Alzheimer’s Disease with Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI).  Radiological Society of North America 2004 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 28 - December 3, 2004 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2004/4412244.html