Article / Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring
Glymphatic clearance as revealed by diffusion tensor imaging along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) is associated with Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology and periodic rsEEG alpha rhythms in mild cognitive impairment participants
Susanna Lopez, Claudio Del Percio, Roberta Lizio, Giuseppe Noce, Matteo Carpi, Dario Arnaldi, Francesco Famà, Matteo Pardini, Federico Massa, Franco Marinozzi, Fabiano Bini, Giorgia Treves, Andrea Soricelli, Marco Salvatore, Franco Giubilei, Laura Ziccardi, Bahar Güntekin, Görsev Yener, Raffaele Ferri, Bartolo Lanuzza, Fabrizio Stocchi, Laura Vacca, Chiara Coletti, Francesco Infarinato, Paola Romano, Moira Marizzoni, Giovanni B. Frisoni, Paolo Barone, Arianna Cappiello, Sofia Cuoco, Laura Bonanni, Anita D’Anselmo, Angelo Antonini, Eleonora Fiorenzato, Simone Cauzzo, Roberta Biundo, Fabrizia D’Antonio, Maria Francesca De Pandis, Simone Marziali, Giuseppe Bruno, Filippo Carducci, Claudio Babiloni
INTRODUCTION
We evaluated whether the brain glymphatic drainage function estimated by the diffusion tensor imaging along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index relates to white matter (WM) integrity, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) neuropathology, resting-state electroencephalogram (rsEEG) alpha rhythms underpinning quiet vigilance, and cognitive decline in mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
METHODS
Clinical, neuroimaging, and rsEEG data were analyzed in matched mild cognitive impairment due to AD (ADMCI) and MCI not due to AD (noADMCI) participants. DTI-ALPS index and aperiodic and periodic components of the rsEEG power spectra were calculated following standard pipelines.
RESULTS
Lower DTI-ALPS index was associated with higher AD neuropathology and WM lesions, lower periodic rsEEG alpha rhythms, and worse cognition in patients with ADMCI and noADMCI as a whole population, with the ADMCI (over noADMCI) group showing lower DTI-ALPS index, greater AD neuropathology, and lower periodic rsEEG alpha rhythms.
CONCLUSIONS
The DTI-ALPS index may capture glymphatic system impairment linked to AD neuropathology, vigilance dysfunction, and cognitive decline in MCI.