MR SPECTROSCOPIC IMAGING IN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

描述(逐字摘自申请人摘要)：本申请建议 用质子磁共振波谱研究脑结构和功能 成像(MRSI)和认知神经心理学I-阿尔茨海默病(AD)。MRSI 是一种有效的方法来解决有关生物的重要问题 健康和疾病中活着的人脑。这是一种安全、非侵入性的方法 进行纵向研究，这是表征的必要设计 疾病进展和治疗监测。我们已经开发出一种方法来 灰质和灰质中局部代谢物浓度的量化 白质分开。这些目标结合了同步的MRSI采集和 图像分析在以下临床研究中的发展 代谢物：N-乙酰基化合物(主要是N-乙酰基乙酸，NAA)， 肌酸(Cr)、胆碱(Cho)和肌醇(RNI)。这项工作包括 对神经元(NAA)和胶质细胞具有特异性的代谢物的成像 (Mi)。在成功完成这项工作后，可以使用所开发的工具 监测阿尔茨海默病的病情进展和治疗反应。健壮 这些质子光谱代谢物的区域量化将允许 关于脑功能障碍的严谨研究 生化状态。 我们的具体目标是：1)对AD进行纵向研究 区域幕上长回声三维容积磁共振成像方案 量化，以及具有以下采样的短回波单层MRSI协议 2)开发一种短回声、容积磁共振成像方法，该方法 将在整个过程中提供MI以及NAA、Cr和Cho的区域度量 并对AD进行横断面研究，以检验新方法。这个 将通过测试来检查区域MRSI数据的认知相关性 通过双分离模型建立特定的大脑-行为关系。

DESCRIPTION (Verbatim from the Applicant's Abstract): This application proposes to study brain structure and function assessed with proton MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) and cognitive neuropsychology I-Alzheimer's disease (AD). MRSI is a powerful approach for addressing important questions about the biology of the living human brain in health and disease. It is a safe, noninvasive method for longitudinal study, which is the essential design for characterizing disease progression and treatment monitoring. We have developed a method for the quantification of regional metabolite concentrations in gray matter and white matter separately. The aims combine simultaneous MRSI acquisition and image analysis development with clinical investigation for the following metabolites: N-acetyl compounds (predominantly N-acetyl-acetic acid, NAA), creatine (Cr), choline (Cho), and myo-inositol (rnI). This work includes the imaging of metabolites that have specificity for neurons (NAA) and for glia (mI). Upon successful completion of this work, the tools developed can be used to monitor disease progression in AD as well as treatment response. Robust regional quantification of these proton spectroscopic metabolites will permit rigorous investigation of the functional ramif aboutcations of brain biochemical status. Our Specific Aims are: 1) to conduct a longitudinal study of AD using a long-echo, 3D volumetric MRSI protocol with regional supratentorial quantification, and a short-echo, single slice MRSI protocol with sampling of the hippocampus; 2) to develop a method for short-echo, volumetric MRSI that will provide regional measures of mI as well as NAA, Cr, and Cho throughout the brain and to conduct a cross-sectional study of AD to test the new method. The cognitive correlates of the regional MRSI data will be examined by testing specific brain-behavior relationships through double dissociation models.