Purpose: To determine whether there were age - related water diffusivity changes in cerebral grey matter by using the fluid - inversion prepared diffusion weighted imaging(FLAIR - DWI) technique. Methods: One hundred and twenty healthy volunteers were recruited for our study and were divided into three age groups: young group(20 - 39 years old), middle group (40-59 years old) and old group (60 years or older). All subjects were evaluated with MRI using FLAIR - DWI at 3.0 T. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of the frontal GM, cingulate cortex and thalami were determined bilaterally by region - of -interest analysis. Results: The frontal grey matter had a significantly greater mean ADC values than that of the thalami and the cingulate cortex( P < 0.001) . Old group had significantly higher ADC values in both thalami and the left frontal GM than that in young and middle groups. No difference of ADC values was found among the three groups in the right frontal GM and bilateral cingulate cortex. There was a significant positive correlation between individual ADC values and age in both thalami ( r = 0.577 and 0.508 for the left and the right respectively, P < 0.01) and left frontal GM (r = 0.307, P<0.01) . For the cingulate cortex( r = 0.011 and 0.024 for the left and the right respectively, P > 0.05) and the right frontal GM( r = 0.150, P = 0.102), ADC values did not correlate significantly with age. Conclusion: Statistically significant age - related diffusion changes were observed in both thalami and the left frontal cortex.%目的:采用液体衰减反转恢复预脉冲DWI技术(FLAIR- DWI)测定不同年龄段脑灰质ADC值来探讨脑老化变化规律.方法:120名来自社区的健康志愿者分为青年组(20～39岁)、中年组(40～59岁)和老年组(60岁及以上),均采用3.0T MRI仪完成FLAIR - DWI扫描,采用感兴趣区法分别测定两侧额叶皮层、扣带回和丘脑的平均ADC值,并分别比较三个年龄组间不同灰质区的ADC值差异及其与年龄变化之间的相关性.结果:额叶皮层的平均ADC值高于丘脑和扣带回(P＜0.001)；老年组的丘脑和左侧额叶皮层的ADC值显著高于中年组和青年组,中年组和青年组间没有显著差异,右侧额叶皮层和扣带回ADC值在不同年龄组间没有显著差异；丘脑(左、右两侧的相关系数分别0.577、0.508,P＜0.01)和左侧额叶皮层(r=0.307,P＜0.01)ADC值与年龄增长呈显著正相关,而右侧额叶(r =0.150,P=0.102)和扣带回(r=0.011、0.024,P＞0.05)ADC值与年龄增长之间没有显著相关性.结论:丘脑和左侧额叶皮层ADC值在正常脑老化过程中可能存在年龄相关的ADC值变化.
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