Quantitative T2, T2*, and T2′ MR imaging in patients with ischemic leukoaraiosis might detect microstructural changes and cortical hypoxia

Quantitative MRI with T2, T2*, and T2' mapping has been shown to non-invasively depict microstructural changes (T2) and oxygenation status (T2* and T2') that are invisible on conventional MRI. Therefore, we aimed to assess whether T2 and T2' quantification detects cerebral (micro-)structural damage and chronic hypoxia in lesions and in normal appearing white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) of patients with ischemic leukoaraiosis (IL). Measurements were complemented by the assessment of the cerebral blood flow (CBF) and the degree of GM and WM atrophy. Eighteen patients with IL and 18 age-matched healthy controls were included. High-resolution, motion-corrected T2, T2*, and T2' mapping, CBF mapping (pulsed arterial spin labeling, PASL), and segmentation of GM and WM were used to depict specific changes in both groups. All parameters were compared between patients and healthy controls, using t testing. Values of p < 0.05 were accepted as statistically significant. Patients showed significantly increased T2 in lesions (p < 0.01) and in unaffected WM (p = 0.045) as well as significantly increased T2* in lesions (p = 0.003). A significant decrease of T2' was detected in patients in unaffected WM (p = 0.027), while no T2' changes were observed in GM (p = 0.13). Both unaffected WM and GM were significantly decreased in volume in the patient-group (p < 0.01). No differences of PASL-based CBF could be shown. Non-invasive quantitative MRI with T2, T2*, and T2' mapping might be used to detect subtle structural and metabolic changes in IL. Assessing the grade of microstructural damage and hypoxia might be helpful to monitor disease progression and to perform risk assessment.