Cerebral Perfusion Insufficiency and Relationships with Cognitive Deficits in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Multiparametric Neuroimaging Study

Micro- or macro-circulatory insufficiency has a negative impact in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study used arterial spin-labeled magnetic resonance imaging (ASL-MRI) and ethylcysteinate dimer single-photon emission computed tomography (ECD-SPECT) in 50 patients with AD and 30 age-matched controls to investigate how hypoperfusion patterns were associated with gray matter atrophy and clinical data. All participants completed 3DT1-MRI, ECD-SPECT and ASL-MRI examinations. Medial temporal cortex (MTC) volumes were correlated with regional signals showing significantly lower relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in ASL-MRI or perfusion index (PI) in ECD-SPECT. Neurobehavioral scores served as the outcome measures. Regions with lower PI showed spatial similarities with atrophy in the medial, anterior and superior temporal lobes, posterior cingulate cortex and angular gyrus, while regions showing lower rCBF were localized to the distal branches of posterior cerebral artery territories (posterior parietal and inferior temporal lobe) and watershed areas (angular gyrus, precuneus, posterior cingulate gyrus and middle frontal cortex). rCBF values in watershed areas correlated with MTC volumes and language composite scores. Precuneus and angular gyrus hypoperfusion were associated with the corresponding cortical atrophy. Macro- or micro-vasculature perfusion integrities and cortical atrophy determined the overall perfusion imaging topography and contributed differently to the clinical outcomes.