# High Performance Imaging for Assessment of Small Vessel Disease in Older Adults with Depression

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2020 · $611,884

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract:
Depression (target disease of this proposal) affects 34 million Americans including 2 million seniors per year. It
is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in older adults (target population of this proposal). The vascular
depression hypothesis (proposed in 1998) remains the most salient theory explaining the onset and
perpetuation of depression in older adults. This model is based on the observation that in older adults, white
matter hyperintensities (a hallmark of small vessel disease, SVD) are associated with depression onset and
perpetuation. Progress in understanding the relationship of small vessel disease with late-life depression has
been stymied in part by lack of specificity of white matter hyperintensities which can represent components of
edema, gliosis, ischemia, and inflammation. Traditional MR imaging is unable to distinguish between these
components, and thus the specific mechanisms that contribute to depression remain unclear.
 The emergence of ultrahigh field MR imaging allows for greater specificity of the WMH lesions, and
other components of small vessel disease. Bringing 7 tesla (T) imaging into mainstream clinical use will be
accomplished through 1) having exclusive (over 1.5/3T) application(s) and 2) achieving robust, safe,
consistent, and homogenous high-quality images. Through a consortium consisting of experts at University of
Pittsburgh combined with collaboration at FDA, University of Minnesota, and Quality Electrodynamics Inc., our
goal is to enhance our understanding of the neuropathophysiology, treatment, and management of depression
in older adults. We will achieve this goal through the development of robust radiofrequency methodology, as
well as pulse sequences that produce 7T images with the aforementioned necessary attributes. This will be
paired with complementary 3T MRI at baseline. We will use our recently developed (as well as a proposed)
custom designed 7T radiofrequency coil system and pulse sequences that are already being used in
disease/patient studies. Based on our preliminary results, the proposed RF solution will provide
unprecedented homogeneity and consistency among different subjects/patients, and therefore excellent signal
to noise ratio and contrast to noise ratio for detection of components of small vessel disease. The study will
examine two cohorts 1) a group of 30 older adults recruited through the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
(ADRC) for developing an MRI to histopathology statistical model of SVD and 2) 60 older adults with late-life
depression who will undergo scanning at baseline and after 2 years. The longitudinal 7T MRI and SVD model
will be used to help characterize the small vessel changes associated with depression in older adults.
 In summary, this study develops an emerging and timely technology (high-performance ultrahigh field
MRI) to study a critical pathophysiological process (cerebral small vessel disease) in a clinically relevant
populatio...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9955317
- **Project number:** 5R01MH111265-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** HOWARD J AIZENSTEIN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $611,884
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-09-13 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9955317

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9955317, High Performance Imaging for Assessment of Small Vessel Disease in Older Adults with Depression (5R01MH111265-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9955317. Licensed CC0.

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