Quantitative Gradient Recalled Echo (qGRE) MRI enables preatrophic neurodegeneration measurement in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s Disease

There is an unmet need for non-invasive technique for measurement of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Quantitative Gradient-Recalled-Echo (qGRE) MRI showed promise to address this in patients through quantification of tissue specific R2* relaxation showing neurodegeneration before atrophy. Here qGRE is optimized and applied for the first time to measure progression of this preatrophic neurodegeneration in Tg4510 mouse model of AD. Histological neuronal density quantification and test-retest measurements validated R2* measurements. We showed significant decrease in normalized median hippocampus R2* between 3, 5 and 6 month-old Tg4510 mice. The method can be applied in AD drug discovery and model development.