Abstract
INTRODUCTION: We tested if water exchange across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), estimated with a noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, is associated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and neuropsychological function.
METHODS: Forty cognitively normal older adults (67–86 years old) were scanned with diffusion‐prepared, arterial spin labeling (DP‐ASL), which estimates water exchange rate across the BBB (kw). Participants also underwent CSF draw and neuropsychological testing. Multiple linear regression models were run with kw as a predictor of CSF concentrations and neuropsychological scores.
RESULTS: In multiple brain regions, BBB kw was positively associated with CSF amyloid beta (Aβ)42 concentration levels. BBB kw was only moderately associated with neuropsychological performance.
DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that low water exchange rate across the BBB is associated with low CSF Aβ42 concentration. These findings suggest that kw may be a promising noninvasive indicator of BBB Aβ clearance functions, a possibility which should be further tested in future research.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-5-2021
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12357
Funding Information
This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grant numbers NIA R01AG055449, NIA P30 AG028383 NIGMS S10 OD023573, UH3‐NS100614, R01‐NS114382, and R01‐EB028297).
Repository Citation
Gold, Brian T.; Shao, Xingfeng; Sudduth, Tiffany L.; Jicha, Gregory A.; Wilcock, Donna M.; Seago, Elayna R.; and Wang, Danny J. J., "Water Exchange Rate across the Blood-Brain Barrier Is Associated with CSF Amyloid-β 42 in Healthy Older Adults" (2021). Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications. 167.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/sbcoa_facpub/167
Included in
Bioimaging and Biomedical Optics Commons, Geriatrics Commons, Medical Physiology Commons, Neurology Commons, Neurosciences Commons
Notes/Citation Information
Published in Alzheimer's & Dementia.
© 2021 The Authors
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.