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. 2008 Aug;29(7):1296-301.
doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A1091. Epub 2008 May 1.

Cerebral blood flow by using pulsed arterial spin-labeling in elderly subjects with white matter hyperintensities

A J Bastos-Leite  1 , J P A Kuijer, S A R B Rombouts, E Sanz-Arigita, E C van Straaten, A A Gouw, W M van der Flier, P Scheltens, F Barkhof
Affiliations

Cerebral blood flow by using pulsed arterial spin-labeling in elderly subjects with white matter hyperintensities

A J Bastos-Leite et al. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2008 Aug.

Abstract

Background and purpose: On MR imaging, white matter hyperintensities (WMH) on T2-weighted images are generally considered as a surrogate marker of ischemic small vessel disease in elderly subjects. Pulsed arterial spin-labeling (PASL) is a noninvasive MR perfusion-weighted technique. We hypothesized that elderly subjects with diffuse confluent WMH should have lower cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurements than subjects with punctiform or beginning confluent WMH.

Materials and methods: MR images of 21 subjects (13 women; mean age, 76 years; SD, 5), stratified for the degree of WMH, from a single center within the multinational Leukoaraiosis and Disability (LADIS) study, were investigated. CBF images were obtained by means of quantitative imaging of perfusion by using a single-subtraction second version, with thin-section TI periodic saturation PASL. Values of cortical gray matter, subcortical (including white matter and deep gray matter), and global CBF were calculated. CBF measurements of subjects with diffuse confluent WMH (n = 7) were compared with those of subjects with punctiform or beginning confluent WMH (n = 14).

Results: Subjects with diffuse confluent WMH were found to have approximately 20% lower mean global CBF (43.5 mL/100 mL/min; SD, 6.3) than subjects with punctiform or beginning confluent WMH (57.9 mL/100 mL/min; SD, 8.6; P < .01), as well as approximately 20% lower mean subcortical (P < .01) and cortical gray matter CBF (P < .05).

Conclusion: PASL revealed a significant reduction of CBF measurements in elderly subjects with diffuse confluent WMH.

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Figures

Fig 1.
Fig 1.
CBF images representing the 6 analyzed sections from subject 4.
Fig 2.
Fig 2.
A, Axial FLAIR images, T1-weighted images, cortical gray matter CBF images, subcortical CBF images, and global CBF images combining all gray and white matter at the level of the basal ganglia and thalamus (above) and at the level of cerebral white matter (below) from subject 4. B, Corresponding images from subject 18. On the CBF images, note that the cerebral cortex, the cortical-subcortical transition, and the thalamus are highly perfused structures. Also note the perfusion differences between subject 18 (with diffuse confluent WMH on FLAIR images) and subject 4 (with punctiform WMH on FLAIR images). Finally, on the subcortical and global CBF images from subject 18, note the relative hypoperfusion of the right thalamus, where a lacunar infarct occurs (arrow).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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