On Using Optimized MRS Acquisitions for Improved Mild Cognitive Impairment Diagnosis

Ileana Hancu¹, John Cowan², Earl Zimmerman²

Accurate and repeatable mI measurements may offer a simple means for diagnosing or monitoring treatment in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients. Unfortunately, such repeatable measurements are difficult to obtain in vivo. The current report investigates the capability of CPRESS to better separate MCI subjects from normal controls (NCs). With only 12 subjects in each of the MCI and NC categories, p-values separating the two classes decrease from 0.03 to 0.002 when using CPRESS instead of a short TE PRESS sequence. The impact of more repeatable mI concentration measurements in diagnosing or monitoring MCI evolution or treatment is discussed.