ADC mapping of the aging frontal lobes in mild cognitive impairment

Neuroradiology. 2004 Apr;46(4):282-6. doi: 10.1007/s00234-004-1183-5. Epub 2004 Mar 25.

Abstract

Normal aging, leukoaraiosis (LA) and vascular disease particularly involve the human frontal lobes. We decided to investigate a population of elderly patients referred for neuroimaging because of progressive minor cognitive deficits but no dementia. They underwent conventional Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using axial T1 and T2-weighted imaging as well as coronal FLAIR sequences in addition to the axial diffusion-weighted MRI. MRI allowed us to differentiate patients with leukoaraïosis (LA+) from those without it (LA-) and mapping of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) to investigate local tissular water motion. We observed an increase in the ADC in all investigated patients with increasing age (r=0.326, p=0.002). This increase was observed in both patients groups (LA+ and LA-). In addition, the LA+ group had significant higher ADC values than the LA- group after controlling for age (p<0.0001).

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Aging / physiology*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cognition Disorders / physiopathology*
  • Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
  • Female
  • Frontal Lobe / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Leukocytes
  • Male
  • Middle Aged