Microscopic fractional anisotropy and magnetization transfer saturation of the hippocampus in dementia

Motivation: In early stages of cognitive decline, it is often difficult to distinguish between different types of dementia, motivating the development of new in-vivo biomarkers. Goal(s): Explore the capabilities of μFA and MTsat to quantify microstructural alterations in the hippocampus of dementia patients. Approach: Patients with different dementia were scanned using a 3T MRI protocol. Quantitative maps of μFA and MTsat were obtained, and ROI-based quantification was performed in the hippocampal subfields. Results: Hippocampal μFA values vary depending on dementia's type. μFA was the lowest in Alzheimer's and increased for other dementia, but all forms of dementia had reduced μFA compared to healthy controls. Impact: The use of μFA quantitative maps could be beneficial for research and clinical application settings to study and quantify microstructural hippocampal changes in dementia.