Regional diffusion changes of cerebral grey matter during normal aging—A fluid-inversion prepared diffusion imaging study

Ni, Jian-ming; Chen, Shuang; Liu, Jian-jun; Huang, Gang; Shen, Tian-zhen; Chen, Xing-rong

doi:10.1016/j.ejrad.2009.04.028

« Previous Next »European Journal of Radiology
Volume 75, Issue 2 , Pages 134-138, August 2010

Regional diffusion changes of cerebral grey matter during normal aging—A fluid-inversion prepared diffusion imaging study

Jian-ming Ni
- Radiology Department, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Middle Road, Shanghai 200040, China
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Renji Hospital, Medical School of Jiaotong University, Dongfang Road 1630, Shanghai, 200127, China
- Medical Imaging Department, Wuxi Second Hospital Affiliated Nanjing Medical University, 68 Zhong Shan Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, 200124, China
Shuang Chen
- Radiology Department, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Middle Road, Shanghai 200040, China
Jian-jun Liu
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Renji Hospital, Medical School of Jiaotong University, Dongfang Road 1630, Shanghai, 200127, China
Gang Huang
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Renji Hospital, Medical School of Jiaotong University, Dongfang Road 1630, Shanghai, 200127, China
- Corresponding author at: Dongfang Road 1630, Shanghai 200127, China. Tel.: +86 21 50892400; fax: +86 21 50892400.
Tian-zhen Shen
- Radiology Department, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Middle Road, Shanghai 200040, China
Xing-rong Chen
- Radiology Department, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Middle Road, Shanghai 200040, China
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Renji Hospital, Medical School of Jiaotong University, Dongfang Road 1630, Shanghai, 200127, China

Received 5 October 2008; received in revised form 13 April 2009; accepted 14 April 2009.

Abstract

Background and purpose

Although diffusion characteristics of white matter (WM) and its aging effects have been well described in the literature, diffusion characteristics of grey matter (GM), especially the cortical GM, have not been fully evaluated. In the present study, we used the fluid-inversion prepared diffusion imaging (FLIPD) technique to determine if there are age-related water diffusivity changes in GM.

Materials and methods

120 healthy volunteers were recruited for our study. They were divided into three age groups: group one (20–39 years old), group two (40–59 years old) and group three (60 years or older). All patients were evaluated with MRI using FLIPD at 3.0T. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of the frontal GM, cingulate cortex and thalami were determined bilaterally by region-of-interest analysis.

Results

Group three had significantly higher ADC values in both thalami and the left frontal GM compared to group two or group one. No ADC value difference was found among the three groups in the right frontal GM and bilateral cingulate cortex. There was a significant positive correlation between individual ADC values and age in both thalami and left frontal GM. For the cingulate cortex and the right frontal GM, ADC values did not correlate significantly with advancing age.

Conclusion

Statistically significant age-related diffusion changes were observed in both thalami and the left frontal cortex. The data reported here may serve as a reference for future studies.

Keywords: Apparent diffusion coefficient, Brain, Magnetic resonance