A new study published in the Journal of Radiology shows that the increase in the volume of an important structure in the brain called choroid plexus is related to greater cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease Choroid plexus is a network of blood vessels, connective tissue and cells, which exists in a space called ventricle. Choroid plexus plays a key role in brain health.
It is the gateway for immune cells to enter the brain from the blood. In addition, it is also the main production site of cerebrospinal fluid. It plays a vital role in removing the waste and toxic protein of brain cells. This role is particularly important in the case of Alzheimer's disease. Recent studies have shown that the development of the disease is related to the accumulation of abnormal proteins called amyloid and tau and subsequent neurodegeneration.
Senior professor of Radiology, Department of Radiology, Seoul University of Radiology "Researchers believe that impaired clearance of abnormal amyloid and tau rather than overproduction is the cause of Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, we believe that the abnormal state of choroid plexus is related to the accumulation of waste and toxic proteins in the brain caused by failure of clearance and neuroinflammation caused by failure of immune surveillance," said won Jin moon, MD
At present, researchers know little about the imaging of choroid plexus in cognitive impairment.
To learn more, Dr. moon and colleagues performed brain magnetic resonance imaging on 532 participants at different stages of cognitive impairment. Of the 532 participants, 132 underwent permeability imaging using dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI.
Choroid plexus volume and permeability are related to the severity of cognitive impairment in brain magnetic resonance imaging. The volume of choroid plexus in patients with Alzheimer's disease is larger than that in patients without Alzheimer's disease. Higher choroid plexus volume was negatively correlated with memory. In addition, it also has a negative impact on executive function, which is a wide range of psychological skills, management, self-control and planning.
"Our study found that the increase of choroid plexus volume was independently associated with the increase of cognitive impairment. We found that there was no relationship between choroid plexus volume and amyloidosis, but there was a significant relationship between choroid plexus volume and the severity of cognitive impairment," Dr. Moon said
The results point out the new possibility of MRI in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
"I think our findings on the choroid plexus can show that it is a new potential MR imaging alternative to clearing system damage and neuroinflammation," Dr. Moon said
Other potential clinical applications include helping researchers develop new target drugs or treatments to eliminate failure and neuroinflammation. Ultimately, choroid plexus measurements will help speed up treatment for those most in need.
"If we combine choroid plexus volume and hippocampal volume at the screening stage, this may help us better distinguish more vulnerable patients from less vulnerable patients," Dr. Moon said
The researchers plan to follow up with a longitudinal study. They will explore the changes in choroid plexus volume as the disease progresses.