Correlation of CT perfusion and CT volumetry in patients with Alzheimer’s disease

BACKGROUND: Both brain atrophy and decrease of perfusion are observed in dementive diseases. The aim of the study was to correlate the results of brain perfusion CT (pCT) and CT volumetry in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). MATERIAL/METHODS: Forty-eight patients with AD (mean age of 71.3 years) underwent brain pCT and CT volumetry. The pCT was performed at the level of basal ganglia after the injection of contrast medium (50 ml, 4 ml/sec.) with serial scanning (delay 7 sec, 50 scans, 1 scan/sec). Volumetric measurements were carried out on the basis of source images, with the use of a dedicated CT software combined with manual outlining of the regions of interest in extracerebral and intraventricular CSF spaces. Perfusion parameters of the cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) from the grey matter of frontal and temporal as well as basal ganglia were compared statistically with the volumetric measurements of frontal and temporal cortical atrophy as well as subcortical atrophy. RESULTS: A statistically significant positive correlation was found between the values of CBF and CBV in the basal ganglia and the volumes of the lateral and third ventricles. The comparison of CBF and CBV results with the volumetric measurements in the areas of the frontal and temporal lobes showed mostly negative correlations, but none of them was of statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with AD, the degree of cortical atrophy is not correlated with the decrease of perfusion in the grey matter and subcortical atrophy is not correlated with the decrease of perfusion in the basal ganglia region. It suggests that functional and structural changes in AD are not related to each other.