Microstructural Tissue Changes in Alzheimer Disease Brains: Insights from Magnetization Transfer Imaging

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FIG 1.
Flowchart shows the recruitment of the study participants with AD.

Table 1:

Demographic, neuropsychological, and MR imaging findings of study participants

Study Participant Characteristic	AD (n = 77)	Healthy Control Participants (n = 77)	P Value^{^b}
No. female (%)	47 (61)	44 (57)	.62
Age, years,^{^a}	72 (8)	72 (8)	.98
Age range, years	51–87	51–87
MMSE^{^a}	22.03 (3.72)	27.57 (1.75)	<.001
Global cortex volume, cm³^{^a}	329.63 (14.53)	394.04 (41.25)	<.001
AD-signature regions volume, cm³^{^a}	54.81 (10.15)	70.28 (8.86)	<.001
Global NAWM volume, cm³^{^a}	305.77 (63.71)	334.70 (52.52)	.01
WM hyperintensities volume, cm³^{^a}	16.19 (17.69)	11.64 (18.01)	.02
Fazekas grade 2 or 3, no. (%)	49 (63.7)	31 (40.3)
Global cortex MTRs^{^a}	0.295 (0.016)	0.309 (0.008)	<.001
AD-signature regions MTRs^{^a}	0.297 (0.018)	0.309 (0.009)	<.001
Global NAWM MTRs^{^a}	0.384 (0.009)	0.388 (0.009)	.003
WM hyperintensities MTRs^{^a}	0.322 (0.028)	0.350 (0.016)	<.001

↵a Data are mean ± SDs.
↵b Pearson χ2 for nominal, Wilcoxon, and paired t test for continuous variables were applied.

Table 3:

Linear regression analysis in AD—cortical MTRs relate to poorer language function in patients with AD

MTR Region	MMSE, n = 77			Language Function (CERAD Test: Boston Naming Test), n = 77			Constructional Praxis (CERAD Test: Figure Copying), n = 73
MTR Region	β	95% CI	P Value^{^a}	β	95% CI	P Value^{^a}	β	95% CI	P Value^{^a}
Global cortex	0.23	−0.07–1.96	.06	0.31	0.19–1.95	.02	0.22	−0.09–1.24	.09
AD-signature regions	0.14	−0.50–1.52	.32	0.28	−0.02–1.74	.05	0.29	−0.01–1.32	.05
Global NAWM	0.17	−0.24–1.67	.14	0.11	−0.05–1.23	.40	0.23	−0.05–1.23	.07
WM hyperintensities	0.01	−0.78–0.88	.91	-0.01	−0.81–0.67	.89	0.01	−0.53–0.59	.92

Note:—β indicates standardized regression coefficient.
↵a Corrected for age, sex, years of education, normalized regional volume, and Fazekas score.