Increased vessel size accompanies decreased cerebral blood flow in the hippocampus in Alzheimer’s disease

The purpose of this study was to probe alterations in vessel size and their contributions to perfusion deficits observed in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients along with older and young adults underwent perfusion and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Increased vessel size was observed in conjunction with decreased cerebral blood flow in the hippocampus of individuals with AD and MCI. These results highlight potential pathologic mechanisms of abnormal vascular supply to the hippocampus in AD. Further investigations into vessel density and the relationship between cerebrovascular structure to AD pathology are warranted.