DWI-based MR thermometry: could it discriminate Alzheimer’s disease from mild cognitive impairment and healthy subjects?

• Published in: Neuroradiology Vol. 64; no. 10; pp. 1979 - 1987
• Main Authors: Asfuroğlu, Berrak Barutcu, Topkan, Tuğberk Andaç, Kaydu, Nesrin Erdoğan, Sakai, Koji, Öner, Ali Yusuf, Karaman, Yahya, Yamada, Kei, Tali, E. Turgut
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.10.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Alzheimer's disease; Brain; Cerebrospinal fluid; Cognitive ability; Comorbidity; Dementia disorders; Diagnostic Neuroradiology; Imaging; Impairment; Magnetic resonance; Magnetic resonance imaging; Medical imaging; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolism; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neuroimaging; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Neurosurgery; Patients; Radiology; Statistical analysis; Temperature; Temperature gradients; Thermometry; Ventricle; Neurodegenerative disease; Ventricular temperatures; Alzheimer’s disease; Magnetic resonance imaging; Mild cognitive impairment; DWI-based thermometry
• ISSN: 0028-3940; 1432-1920; 1432-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s00234-022-02969-y

Purpose The aim of this study is to compare lateral ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) temperature of the patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and healthy subjects (HS) using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)-based magnetic resonance (MR) thermometry. Methods Seventy-two patients (37 AD, 19 MCI, 16 HS) who underwent 3-T MR examination from September 2018 to August 2019 were included in this study. Smoking habits, education level, disease duration, and comorbidity status were recorded. Patients were assessed using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) score. Brain temperatures were measured using DWI-based MR thermometry. Group comparisons of brain temperature were performed using the Pearson chi-square, Mann–Whitney, and Kruskal–Wallis tests. Further analysis was performed using the post hoc Bonferroni test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was also used. Results A CDR score of 0.5, 1, and 2 was 2 (5.4%), 14 (37.8%), and 21 (56.8%) in AD, respectively. The median MMSE score had significant differences among groups and also in pairwise comparisons. The median CSF temperature (°C) values showed statistically significant difference among groups (HS: 38.5 °C, MCI: 38.17 °C, AD: 38.0 °C). The post hoc Mann–Whitney U test indicated a significant difference between AD patients and HS ( p  = 0.009). There were no significant CSF temperature differences in other pairwise comparisons. Conclusion Lower CSF temperatures were observed in AD patients than in HS, probably due to decreased brain metabolism in AD. DWI-based MR thermometry as a noninvasive imaging method enabling the measurement of CSF temperatures may contribute to the diagnosis of AD.