Longitudinal Changes in Global Cerebral Blood Flow in Cognitively Normal Older Adults: A Phase-Contrast MRI Study.
J Magn Reson Imaging
; 56(5): 1538-1545, 2022 11.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35218111
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Characterization of blood supply changes in older individuals is important in understanding brain aging and diseases. However, prior studies largely focused on cross-sectional design, thus change in cerebral blood flow (CBF) could not be assessed on an individual level.PURPOSE:
To evaluate longitudinal short-term changes in global CBF in cognitively normal older adults. STUDY TYPE Prospective, longitudinal, and cohort. POPULATION One-hundred twenty-seven cognitive-normal participants (mean age 69 ± 7 years, 47 males) underwent serial MRI with an average follow-up time of 2.1 years. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE 3 T phase-contrast (PC), three-dimensional magnetization-prepared-rapid-acquisition-of-gradient-echo (MPRAGE) and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MRI. ASSESSMENT Total CBF was measured with PC MRI allowing assessment of quantitative flow in four major feeding arteries by a trained radiologist with >3 years' experience (O.K.). Brain volume was obtained from MPRAGE MRI and measured by T1-MultiAtlas MRICloud tool. The ratio between total CBF and brain volume yielded global CBF in mL/100 g/min. White matter hyperintensity (WMH) was measured automatically using a Bayesian probability approach on FLAIR. STATISTICAL TESTS Linear mixed effect model was used to simultaneously assess cross-sectional age-differences and longitudinal age-changes in CBF. Spearman rank correlation was used to evaluate the relationship between CBF change and WMH progression. A P-value of <0.05 (two-tailed) was considered significant.RESULTS:
Global CBF decreased with age at a longitudinal rate of -0.56 mL/100 g/min/year (95% confidence interval [CI] -1.09, -0.03), compared to a cross-sectional rate of -0.26 mL/100 g/min/year (95% CI -0.41, -0.11). Changes in CBF were significantly associated with progression of WMH (Spearman rank correlation r = -0.25), as those participants who had a more rapid CBF reduction had greater increases in WMH volumes and the relationship remained significant when adjusting for baseline vascular risk scores. Additionally, age-related changes in whole-brain volume were found to be -0.151%/year (95% CI -0.186, -0.116). DATACONCLUSION:
These findings suggest that brain aging in older adults is accompanied by a rapid longitudinal reduction in CBF, the rate of which is associated with white matter damage. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE 2.Key words
Full text:
1
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Cerebrovascular Circulation
/
White Matter
Type of study:
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
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Prognostic_studies
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Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Aged
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Language:
En
Journal:
J Magn Reson Imaging
Journal subject:
DIAGNOSTICO POR IMAGEM
Year:
2022
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
China