Abstract #0187

Increased Blood-Brain Interface Water Permeability in the Ageing Brain detected using non-invasive Multiple Echo Time ASL MRI

Yolanda Ohene¹, Ian F. Harrison¹, David L. Thomas^2,3,4, Mark F. Lythgoe ¹, and Jack A. Wells ¹

¹Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, UCL, London, United Kingdom, ²Neuroradiological Academic Unit, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, United Kingdom, ³Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, United Kingdom, ⁴Wellcome Centre for Humans Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, United Kingdom

Multi-TE ASL technique detects a significant increase (32%) in blood-brain interface (BBI) permeability in the ageing brain. The change in BBI water permeability is associated with a marked increase (1.9 ± 0.4 fold) in expression of PDGFRβ, an index of pericyte coverage, and changes to aquaporin water channels and their anchoring proteins in the ageing brain. This technique is a promising non-invasive tool to measure age-related changes to the BBI, that may play a mechanistic role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative conditions.

This abstract and the presentation materials are available to members only; a login is required.

Join Here