Home › Research › Brain scans and imaging
In vivo detection of cerebral cortical microinfarcts with high-resolution 7T MRI
van Veluw SJ, Zwanenburg JJ, Engelen-Lee J, Spliet WG, Hendrikse J, Luijten PR, Biessels GJ.. Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism : official journal of the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, 2012-12-19
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Cerebrovascular disease has an important role in cognitive decline and dementia. In this context, cerebral microinfarcts are attracting increasing attention, but these lesions could thus far not be detected in vivo. The aim of this study was to try to identify possible cortical microinfarcts on high-resolution 7T in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to perform a histopathologic validation study on similar appearing lesions on 7T ex vivo MRI of postmortem brain tissue. The study population consisted of 22 elderly subjects, who underwent 7T MRI. The fluid attenuated inversion recovery, T(2), and T(1) weighted scans of these subjects were examined for possible cortical microinfarcts. In the ex vivo MRI study, 15 formalin-fixed coronal brain slices of 6 subjects with Alzheimer and vascular pathology were examined and subjected to histopathologic verification. On the in vivo scans, 15 cortical lesions could be identified that were likely to be microinfarcts in 6 subjects. In the postmortem tissue, 6 similar appearing lesions were identified of which 5 were verified as cortical microinfarcts on histopathology. This study provides strong evidence that cortical microinfarcts can be detected in vivo, which will be of great value in further studies into the role of vascular disease in cognitive decline and dementia.
Key findings
- The fluid attenuated inversion recovery, T(2), and T(1) weighted scans of these subjects were examined for possible cortical microinfarcts.
- In the ex vivo MRI study, 15 formalin-fixed coronal brain slices of 6 subjects with Alzheimer and vascular pathology were examined and subjected to histopathologic verification.
- On the in vivo scans, 15 cortical lesions could be identified that were likely to be microinfarcts in 6 subjects.
- In the postmortem tissue, 6 similar appearing lesions were identified of which 5 were verified as cortical microinfarcts on histopathology.
- This study provides strong evidence that cortical microinfarcts can be detected in vivo, which will be of great value in further studies into the role of vascular disease in cognitive decline and dementia.
Why it matters
This study found that small cortical microinfarcts, previously undetectable in living people, could be seen on high-resolution 7T MRI and were confirmed on postmortem tissue in some cases. It is a detection method for vascular brain lesions and does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer disease.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Brain scans & tests →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 48/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism : official journal of the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism: journal h-index 285 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2013 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 192 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 12.8 citations a year over 15 year(s) since 2013 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 15.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 7 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 8 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Geert Jan Biessels: h-index 105 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Utrecht University: institution h-index 1,157 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 23250109) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 48 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1038/jcbfm.2012.196
- PubMed: 23250109
- Original source →
- Free full text: Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
van Veluw, S. J., Zwanenburg, J. J., Engelen-Lee, J., Spliet, W. G., Hendrikse, J., Luijten, P. R., et al. (2013). In vivo detection of cerebral cortical microinfarcts with high-resolution 7T MRI. Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism : official journal of the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1038/jcbfm.2012.196
Vancouver
van Veluw SJ, Zwanenburg JJ, Engelen-Lee J, Spliet WG, Hendrikse J, Luijten PR, et al. In vivo detection of cerebral cortical microinfarcts with high-resolution 7T MRI. Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism : official journal of the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism. 2013. doi:10.1038/jcbfm.2012.196. PMID: 23250109.
BibTeX
@article{vanveluw2013-23250109,
author = {van Veluw, S. J. and Zwanenburg, J. J. and Engelen-Lee, J. and Spliet, W. G. and Hendrikse, J. and Luijten, P. R. and Biessels, G. J.},
title = {{In vivo detection of cerebral cortical microinfarcts with high-resolution 7T MRI}},
journal = {Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism : official journal of the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.1038/jcbfm.2012.196},
pmid = {23250109},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/jcbfm.2012.196}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
7 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
Related studies in Brain scans and imaging
Also tagged “cerebral”
900 studies in the library carry the topic tag “cerebral”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 900 tagged studies.