We present a case of a 74-year-old woman with severe leukoaraoisis. She was examined by a neurologist, neuropsychologist, and rheumatologist, and completed conventional (T1, T2-FLAIR) MRI, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and advanced single-shell, high b-value diffusion MRI (i.e., fiber ball imaging [FBI]).
The patient was found to have few neurological signs, no significant cognitive impairment, a negative workup for leukoencephalopathy, and a positive antibody for Sjogren\'s disease for which her degree of leukoaraiosis would be highly atypical. Tractography results indicate intact axonal architecture that was better resolved using FBI rather than DTI.
This case illustrates exceptional cognitive resilience in the face of severe leukoaraiosis and the potential for advanced diffusion MRI to identify brain reserve.