Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy-Related Microbleeds Correlate with Glucose Metabolism and Brain Volume in Alzheimer's Disease.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Microbleeds (MBs) are frequently observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, the relevance to AD pathophysiology has not been elucidated.

OBJECTIVES:

We investigated correlation of MBs, especially cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA)-related MBs with cognitive function, gray matter volume, and glucose metabolism in AD.

METHODS:

We performed magnetic resonance imaging including T2*-weighted imaging sequence for 206 patients with AD. Among them, 158 AD patients with no focal brain lesions except for MBs were investigated with cognitive tests, voxel-based morphometry, and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in a cross-sectional observational study.

RESULTS:

Of the 158 patients with no hemorrhagic and/or ischemic stroke lesions except for MBs, 27 patients had MBs, in which 17 patients showed CAA-related MBs that located only in cortex/subcortex (CAA-related MBs), and 10 patients showed CAA-unrelated MBs that located in deep regions regardless of the presence of MBs in cortical/subcortical regions. There were slightly but significant differences in cognitive functions between the patients without MBs, those with CAA-related MBs, and those with CAA-unrelated MBs. MBs were recognized frequently in the occipital lobe in the patients with CAA-related MBs. The patients with CAA-related MBs showed gray matter atrophy in the temporal lobe and cerebellum, and glucose hypometabolism in the temporal lobe compared with those without MBs.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results indicate that MBs, particularly CAA-related MBs would cause gray matter atrophy and glucose hypometabolism in AD.

• Authors: Miharu Samuraki, Ichiro Matsunari, Mitsuhiro Yoshita, Keisuke Shima, Moeko Noguchi-Shinohara, Tsuyoshi Hamaguchi, Kenjiro Ono, Masahito Yamada
• Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD (J Alzheimers Dis) Vol. 48 Issue 2 Pg. 517-28 ( 2015) ISSN: 1875-8908 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 26402015 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Observational Study, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Radiopharmaceuticals
• Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
• Glucose

Topics

• Aged
• Alzheimer Disease (diagnostic imaging, pathology, physiopathology, psychology)
• Brain (diagnostic imaging, metabolism, pathology)
• Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (diagnostic imaging, pathology, physiopathology, psychology)
• Cerebral Hemorrhage (diagnostic imaging, pathology, physiopathology, psychology)
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Female
• Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
• Glucose (metabolism)
• Gray Matter (metabolism, pathology)
• Humans
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Male
• Neuropsychological Tests
• Organ Size
• Positron-Emission Tomography
• Radiopharmaceuticals