Arterial Spin Labeling Blood Flow MRI: Its Role in the Early Characterization of Alzheimer's Disease

Issue title: Basics of Alzheimer's Disease Prevention

Guest editors: Jack C. de la Torre

Article type: Review Article

Authors: Alsop, David C.^{a; *} | Dai, Weiying^a | Grossman, Murray^b | Detre, John A.^{b; c}

Affiliations: [a] Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA | [b] Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA | [c] Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA | Center for Alzheimer's Research, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ, USA

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: David C. Alsop, Department of Radiology, Ansin 226, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA. Tel.: +1 617 667 0275; Fax: +1 617 667 7917; E-mail: dalsop@bidmc.harvard.edu.

Abstract: Arterial spin labeling (ASL) enables the noninvasive, quantitative imaging of cerebral blood flow using standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment. Because it requires no contrast injection, ASL can add resting functional information to MRI studies measuring atrophy and signs of ischemic injury. Key features of ASL technology that may affect studies in Alzheimer's disease are described. The existing literature describing ASL blood flow imaging applied to Alzheimer's disease and related dementia is reviewed, and the potential role of ASL in treatment and prevention studies of early Alzheimer's disease is discussed.

Keywords: Cerebral blood flow, diagnosis, imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, perfusion

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-2010-091699

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 871-880, 2010