Altered cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in Alzheimer's disease as measured by resting-state fMRI

Motivation: Resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) can be used to extract cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow dynamic properties, which may be disrupted in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Goal(s): To investigate CSF flow using rsfMRI to identify potential imaging markers for the characterizations of AD pathology. Approach: CSF time courses from the 4th ventricle and subarachnoid space were extracted from rsfMRI. Time course coupling between CSF and the cortical and hippocampal regions was analyzed alongside CSF power spectral densities and inflow analysis. Results: AD and MCI subjects exhibited longer CSF-ROI coupling delays, alongside lower frequencies and inflow velocities compared to normal controls, reflecting underlying neurodegenerative processes. Impact: Investigating rsFMRI data revealed distinct patterns in CSF flow dynamics among AD and MCI subjects compared to normal controls, providing a foundation to improve the characterizations of AD or other degenerative diseases.