MRI findings suggestive of Alzheimer's disease in patients with primary open angle glaucoma - a single sequence analysis using rapid 3D T1 spoiled gradient echo

OBJECTIVE: Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a degenerative optic neuropathy disease which has somewhat similar pathophysiology to Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study aims to determine the presence of medial temporal atrophy and parietal lobe atrophy in patients with POAG compared to normal controls using medial temporal atrophy (MTA) scoring and posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) scoring system on T1 magnetization-prepared rapid gradient-echo.

METHODS: 50 POAG patients and 50 normal subjects were recruited and an MRI brain with T1-magnetization-prepared rapid gradient-echo was performed. Medial temporal lobe and parietal lobe atrophy were by MTA and PCA/Koedam scoring. The score of the PCA and MTA were compared between the POAG group and the controls.

RESULTS: There was a significant statistical difference between PCA score in POAG and the healthy control group (p-value = 0.026). There is no statistical difference between MTA score in POAG compared to the healthy control group (p-value = 0.58).

CONCLUSION: This study suggests a correlation between POAG and PCA score. Potential application of this scoring method in clinical diagnosis and monitoring of POAG patients.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: The scoring method used in AD may also be applied in the diagnosis and monitoring of POAGMRI brain, specifically rapid volumetric T1 spoiled gradient echo sequence, may be applied in POAG assessment.