biostudies-literatureShu KNatural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province968https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12512909biostudies-literatureUnknown25(1)<h4>Objective</h4>This study aims to investigate alterations in glymphatic system (GS) function in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and explore the relationship of these alterations with cognition and clinical indicators.<h4>Materials and methods</h4>In this cross-sectional study, forty-three patients with pre-cirrhotic NAFLD (male: 37, mean age: 38.2 ± 6.7 years) and twenty-three age-, sex-, and education-matched controls (male: 17, mean age: 41.0 ± 6.7 years) underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) examination and cognitive measurements. The DTI analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index, calculated from the DTI data, assessed differences in GS function between the two groups. Linear regression analysis examined the relationship between the ALPS index BMC psychiatryGlymphatic alteration in NAFLD patient: a preliminary magnetic resonance imaging study based on DTI-ALPS.PMC12512909LY18H070003 and LY19H180003Meng SLiu KHan LWu PShu KCui SZhou YYe XSong JYang YYan ZHuang XChen SfalseGlymphatic alteration in NAFLD patient: a preliminary magnetic resonance imaging study based on DTI-ALPS.<h4>Objective</h4>This study aims to investigate alterations in glymphatic system (GS) function in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and explore the relationship of these alterations with cognition and clinical indicators.<h4>Materials and methods</h4>In this cross-sectional study, forty-three patients with pre-cirrhotic NAFLD (male: 37, mean age: 38.2 ± 6.7 years) and twenty-three age-, sex-, and education-matched controls (male: 17, mean age: 41.0 ± 6.7 years) underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) examination and cognitive measurements. The DTI analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index, calculated from the DTI data, assessed differences in GS function between the two groups. Linear regression analysis examined the relationship between the ALPS index 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Oct2026-06-04T11:00:02.645Z2026-05-08T03:10:45.819ZS-EPMC125129094107392410.1186/s12888-025-07432-9