Diagnostic Performance Using a Combination of MRI Findings for Evaluating Cognitive Decline

• Published in: Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology Vol. 85; no. 1; pp. 184 - 196
• Main Authors: Byun, Jin Young, Lee, Min Kyoung, Jung, So Lyung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Society of Radiology 01.01.2024; 대한영상의학회
• Subjects: alzheimer disease; cerebral small vessel disease; cognitive decline; magnetic resonance image; Neuroradiology & Neurointervention; 방사선과학; Cerebral Small Vessel Disease; Cognitive Decline; Alzheimer Disease; Magnetic Resonance Image
• ISSN: 2951-0805; 2951-0805
• DOI: 10.3348/jksr.2023.0065

We investigated potentially promising imaging findings and their combinations in the evaluation of cognitive decline. This retrospective study included 138 patients with subjective cognitive impairments, who underwent brain MRI. We classified the same group of patients into Alzheimer's disease (AD) and non-AD groups, based on the neuropsychiatric evaluation. We analyzed imaging findings, including white matter hyperintensity (WMH) and cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), using the Kruskal-Wallis test for group comparison, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis for assessing the diagnostic performance of imaging findings. CMBs in the lobar or deep locations demonstrated higher prevalence in the patients with AD compared to those in the non-AD group. The presence of lobar CMBs combined with periventricular WMH (area under the ROC curve [AUC] = 0.702 [95% confidence interval: 0.599-0.806], < 0.001) showed the highest performance in differentiation of AD from non-AD group. Combinations of imaging findings can serve as useful additive diagnostic tools in the assessment of cognitive decline.