Added Value of Chemical Exchange-Dependent Saturation Transfer MRI for the Diagnosis of Dementia
Jang-Hoon Oh, Bo Guem Choi, Hak Young Rhee, Jin San Lee, Kyung Mi Lee, Soonchan Park, Ah Rang Cho, Chang‐Woo Ryu, Key‐Chung Park, Eui Jong Kim, Geon‐Ho Jahng
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Chemical exchange-dependent saturation transfer (CEST) MRI is sensitive for detecting solid-like proteins and may detect changes in the levels of mobile proteins and peptides in tissues. The objective of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of chemical exchange proton pools using the CEST MRI technique in patients with dementia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ) values, using six-pool Lorentzian fitting. Statistical analyses of CEST indices were performed to evaluate group comparisons, their correlations with gray matter volume (GMV) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: values at 2 ppm in the anterior cingulate (area under the ROC curve = 0.981), with a sensitivity of 100 and a specificity of 90.91. CONCLUSION: CEST MRI potentially allows noninvasive image alterations in the Alzheimer's disease brain without injecting isotopes for monitoring different disease states and may provide a new imaging biomarker in the future.