Developing Advanced Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability Imaging for Early AD

Developing Advanced Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability Imaging for Early Alzheimer's Disease

Aging is the primary risk factor in aging-related dementia. An important initiating factor for the development and progression of cognitive impairment is disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). BBB plays an important role in maintaining normal brain homeostasis and protecting neural tissues from toxins. It is hypothesized that such changes known to be common in aging and can be an early process that precedes Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The microvascular changes related to subtle BBB disruption can be measured with permeability-surface area (PS) derived from GRASP DCE-MRI acquired less than 10 minutes, and the patterns of increased PS in normal and abnormal aging are different.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Subjects that have been diagnosed with aMCI ages 65-85

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnant, planning to get pregnant, or nursing.
• Claustrophobia
• Cardiac pacemaker
• Intracranial clips, metal implants, unremovable jewelries, metal in eyes.
• History or presence of any other major medical, neurologic or psychiatric conditions, such as Alzheimer's diseases, Parkinson's diseases, and stroke.
• Renal or liver disease as this may cause concerns related to Gad-based contrast agent
• Allergy to the contrast agent Gadolinium