Evaluation of Microstructural Brain Abnormalities and Cognitive Impairment of OSAHS patients with axial and radial kurtosis from DKI

Motivation: Microstructural brain changes resulted from obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome（OSAHS）related cognitive impairment can help to understand the potential neuropathological mechanism. Goal(s): To assess the brain microstructural alteration in patients with OSAHS using DKI imaging. Approach: 33 OSAHS patients and 33 healthy controls were performed DKI/3D-T1WI MRI imaging. The AK and RK in different brain regions were extracted. Results: Significant differences were found in AK and RK values in various brain regions for OSAHS group compared to HC group. Abnormal changes in some crucial brain regions were found to be correlated with MoCA score and sleep parameters. Impact: Altered AK and RK in brain regions associated with the microstructural change in OSAHS, such as demyelination and axonal destruction. The correlation of respiratory parameters and scoring indicators is conducive to more objective assessment for cognitive level of patients.