Relevance of the Diffusion Tensor Imaging along the Perivascular Space (DTI-ALPS) Index in Small Vessel Disease – A Study in Patients with Mild Ischaemic Stroke
Finds DTI-ALPS index does not directly indicate glymphatic function but reflects tissue changes in mild ischaemic stroke.
Key Points
This research investigates the utility of the DTI-ALPS index as a marker of glymphatic function in small vessel disease and its relation to cognitive function post mild ischaemic stroke.
Computed DTI-ALPS in 189 patients with mild ischaemic stroke.
Quantified imaging markers of small vessel disease including enlarged perivascular spaces, white matter hyperintensities, and cerebral microbleeds.
Assessed cognitive function using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).
Utilized linear regression models to examine associations among DTI-ALPS, SVD markers, and cognitive outcomes.
Lower DTI-ALPS values correlate with increased volume of basal ganglia perivascular spaces and male sex.
Higher white matter hyperintensity volume predicts lower DTI-ALPS in patients with non-lacunar strokes.
DTI-ALPS shows negative associations with fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity.
No associations found between DTI-ALPS and cognitive assessment scores.