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. 2024 Feb 20;8(1):355-361.
doi: 10.3233/ADR-230143. eCollection 2024.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging Along Perivascular Spaces (DTI-ALPS) to Assess Effects of Age, Sex, and Head Size on Interstitial Fluid Dynamics in Healthy Subjects

Ilker Ozsahin  1   2 , Liangdong Zhou  1 , Xiuyuan Wang  1 , Jacob Garetti  1 , Keith Jamison  1 , Ke Xi  1 , Emily Tanzi  1 , Abhishek Jaywant  3 , Abigail Patchell  1 , Thomas Maloney  1 , Mony J de Leon  1 , Amy Kuceyeski  1 , Sudhin A Shah  1 , Yi Li  1 , Tracy A Butler  1
Affiliations

Diffusion Tensor Imaging Along Perivascular Spaces (DTI-ALPS) to Assess Effects of Age, Sex, and Head Size on Interstitial Fluid Dynamics in Healthy Subjects

Ilker Ozsahin et al. J Alzheimers Dis Rep. .

Abstract

Diffusion tensor imaging along perivascular spaces (DTI-ALPS) is a novel MRI method for assessing brain interstitial fluid dynamics, potentially indexing glymphatic function. Failed glymphatic clearance is implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathophysiology. We assessed the contribution of age and female sex (strong AD risk factors) to DTI-ALPS index in healthy subjects. We also for the first time assessed the effect of head size. In accord with prior studies, we show reduced DTI-ALPS index with aging, and in men compared to women. However, head size may be a major contributing factor to this counterintuitive sex difference.

Keywords: Aging; Alzheimer’s disease; DTI-ALPS; glymphatic system; interstitial fluid dynamics; sex difference.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A simplified drawing of DTI-ALPS. Projection fibers (blue), association fibers (green), and subcortical fibers (red) are presented along z-, y-, and x-axis, respectively. PVS is orthogonal to both projection and association fibers. (Adapted from [6]).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Schematic diagram of image acquisition, processing, and measurement of DTI-ALPS index.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Scatterplot of association between DTI-ALPS index and age.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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