Regression analysis of cerebral blood perfusion and cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the relationships between cerebral blood perfusion and impairments of cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: A total of 21 patients with AD, 18 patients with MCI and 21 healthy adults as control group (NC group) matched in age, gender and education were recruited between November 2016 and November 2017 from Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital. All cases were performed routine head MRI, arterial spin labeling (ASL). Cognitive function evaluation including simple mental state scale (MMSE) and improved Addenbrooke's cognitive examination revised (ACE-R) of patients were also assessed. The difference between cerebral blood perfusion signals and cognitive impairment of the three groups were analyzed. Results: The subtest scores of attention and orientation, memory, language fluency, language and visual space of ACE-R scores were significantly reduced (P<0.001,uncorrected) for AD when compared with MCI. Using REST1.8 software to perform single factor ANOVA, and adjusted for P<0.05. The AD group showed a decrease in total cerebral perfusion compared to the NC group, a decrease and in the frontotemporal lobe compared to MCI group; compared with the normal group, MCI group also showed decreased perfusion in frontotemporal cortex. Pearson correlation analysis was performed on the cerebral blood flow and ACE-R scores in the AD group and the MCI group,the decrease degree of CBF in multiple brain regions was positively correlated with the total score of ACE-R's total scores, and the subtest score of ACE-R including attention and orientation, memory, language fluency, language and visual space also showed positive correlation. Conclusion: ASL technology can detect the changes of cerebral blood flow metabolism in AD and MCI patients, and reveal association relationships between brain function damage and cerebral blood flow metabolism in AD and MCI patients.