Distribution preponderance of cerebral microbleeds according to severity of leukoaraiosis in Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) and leukoaraiosis (LA) are common findings in Alzheimer's disease (AD). But clinical or topographic relation of CMBs associated with LA in AD has been lacking. This study was performed to determine frequency and topographic preponderance of CMBs according to severity of LA in AD and compare the cognition and behavior of the AD patients according to severity of LA in AD, also. •101 AD patients were classified in three groups as patients with minimal LA (n=55), moderate LA (n=30) and with severe LA (n=16).•CMBs were counted using mainly 1.5 Tesla SWI (n=90) and gradient-echo (n=10) imaging•The Microbleed Anatomical Rating Scale (MARS) was used to localize each CMB location.•Leukoaraiosis was rated on T2-weighted MRI using the CREDOS white matter hyperintensity visual rating scale.•Numbers and location of CMBs in moderate to severe LA group were statistically compared with those of CMBs in minimal LA group.•Moreover, we compared neuropsychology between the two groups by Seoul Neuropsychological Battery-1 •Total CMBs in moderate to severe LA group (CMBs = 77) was significantly more than CMBs (CMBs=32) in minimal LA group (P=0.024*, t-test)•There is not distribution predominance of CMBs in AD according to leukoaraiosis (P=0.775, Chi-square test)•There is no statistically significant cognitive differences between two groups. •As LA progresses, total number of CMBs increases without affecting cognition and behavior in AD patients and these findings suggest there is no distribution predominance of CMBs in AD according to leukoaraiosis