Apparent diffusion coefficient measurements in progressive supranuclear palsy

We measured the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), using diffusion-weigh ted imaging (DWI) and signal intensity on T2-weighted MRI in the cerebral w hite matter of patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and age-m atched normal subjects. In PSP, ADC in the prefrontal and precentral white matter was significantly higher than in controls. There was no significant difference in signal intensity on T2-weighted images. The ADC did correlate with signal intensity. The distribution of the elevation of ADC may be the consequence of underlying pathological changes, such as neurofibrillary ta ngles or glial fibrillary tangles in the cortex. Our findings suggest that ADC measurement might be useful for demonstrating subtle neuropathological changes.