Applications of Arterial Spin Labelling in Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer's Disease and Other Forms of Dementia

The development of an accurate marker for Alzheimer's disease (AD) at the earliest stage is an important public health goal. Modern neuroimaging techniques offer one potential approach to identify a marker for AD. This review focuses on the detection of alterations in brain perfusion as a potentially sensitive index of AD pathology using arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion mapping - a relatively new variant of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Key findings of ASL perfusion studies in AD mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a transitional stage between normal aging and AD as well as in other forms of dementia are discussed. Furthermore, the value of ASL-MRI for improved diagnosis and prediction of AD is critically reviewed.