What question did this study set out to answer?

This study aims to identify the pathophysiological differences in oxygen extraction fraction between Alzheimer's disease and non-Alzheimer's dementia patients.

May 2, 2026Open Access

Oxygen extraction fraction is differentially associated with pathological biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease and non-Alzheimer’s dementias

Key Points

This study aims to identify the pathophysiological differences in oxygen extraction fraction between Alzheimer's disease and non-Alzheimer's dementia patients.
Quantified oxygen extraction fraction using a novel MRI-based mapping technique (QQ) in 31 patients.
Performed multiple linear regression analyses to assess associations between OEF, white matter hyperintensities, and cognitive impairment.
Compared results in cortical and deep gray matter regions across both groups.
OEF negatively correlates with white matter hyperintensities in deep gray matter (DGM) in both groups.
OEF positively correlates with cognitive impairment (MoCA) in both DGM and cortical gray matter (CGM).
Findings support using QQ as a tool to identify differences in oxygen usage and cognition between the two dementias.

Abstract

Introduction We aimed to understand the pathophysiological differences between 16 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and 15 non-AD dementia patients by quantifying oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) in cortical (CGM) and deep gray matter (DGM) regions. Methods To achieve this, we used a novel MRI-based OEF mapping technique, QQ, which estimates OEF from routine multi-echo gradient echo data. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to compare the associations between OEF and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) or cognitive impairment (measured by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) between the two groups. Results In the AD and non-AD group, OEF showed negative associations with WMH in DGM and positive associations with MoCA in DGM and CGM. Discussion Our study suggests that QQ is a promising tool for differentiating between AD and non-AD dementias, by revealing abnormalities in tissue oxygen usage and their relationships to microvascular changes and cognitive impairment.

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