Blood oxygen level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of vascular cognitive impairment

The significance of the diagnosis of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is able to do early intervention and delay or even prevent its progress. However, due to the limitations of diagnostic methods and standards, the patients with mild VCI often can not get timely and accurate diagnosis. Recent studies have shown that blood oxygen level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) may provide objective indicators for the diagnosis of VCI. This article reviews the application of BOLD-fMRI in the diagnosis of VCI. Key words: Cognition Disorders; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Functional Neuroimaging; Oxygen