AUTHOR=Li Meng , Liu Shanwen , Zhu Hongqin , Guo Zhiwen , Zhi Yuqi , Liu Rong , Jiang Zhen , Liang Xiaoyun , Hu Hua , Zhu Jiangtao 

TITLE=Decreased locus coeruleus signal associated with Alzheimer’s disease based on neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging technique

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience

VOLUME=16

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2022.1014485

DOI=10.3389/fnins.2022.1014485

ISSN=1662-453X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Objective</title><p>Neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (NM-MRI) technique was used to detect the changes of the locus coeruleus (LC) signals in Alzheimer’s disease patients (AD), and to analyze its correlation with cognitive function.</p></sec><sec><title>Materials and methods</title><p>A total of 27 patients with AD, 15 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 25 healthy controls (HC) were examined by NM-MRI technique. ImageJ software was used to measure the LC signals. The locus coeruleus signal contrast ratios (LC-CRs) were calculated, along with the measurement of neuropsychological scales.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>The LC-CRs of AD patients were significantly different from that of HC (<italic>p</italic> = 0.007, 95% CI: −0.053∼−0.007). However, such significant differences were not observed between MCI and HC (<italic>p</italic> = 1.000, 95% CI: −0.030∼0.024), AD and MCI (<italic>p</italic> = 0.050, 95% CI: −0.054∼0.000). Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was identified between LC-CRs and MMSE sub item Drawing (<italic>r</italic> = 0.484, <italic>p</italic> = 0.011) in the AD group, MoCA sub item Attention (<italic>r</italic> = 0.519, <italic>p</italic> = 0.047) in the MCI group. The area under the curve of LC-CRs in the diagnosis of AD was 0.749 (<italic>p</italic> = 0.002, 95% CI: 0.618∼0.880), with a sensitivity of 85.2% and a specificity of 56.0%.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>The NM-MRI technique could quantify the pathological degenerations of the LC in AD. Such LC degenerations can be employed to distinguish AD from healthy elderly.</p></sec>