Objective To investigate the voxel-based correlation of mini-mental state examination(MMSE) score with apparent diffusion coefficients(ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) derived from diffusion tensor imaging(DTI) in the patients with Alzheimer disease. Methods 12 patients aged (70.0± 10.5) years and 16 normal control aged (66.5±6.7) years were enrolled in this study.DTI was performed based on sequence and 32-channel head coils.ADC and FA images were calculated and normalized to the same space and smoothed with 8 mm Gaussian Kernel. With statistical parameter mapping software SPM5 package,the independent two sample t-test with general linear model were performed to detect ADC and FA differences between AD patients and normal control.Correlation analysis was performed between MMSE score and FA or ADC. Results AD patients showed elevated ADC value and decreased FA value in bilateral temporal lobe and anterior cingulate,which was more pronounced in the left than in the right.There was elevation of ADC value but no FA decrease in bilateral posterior cingulate.The abnormal ADC area was larger than that of FA.There was negative correlation between MMSE score and ADC of the right hippocampus(r=-0.9474,P=0.0232) and a tendency towards positive correlation between MMSE score and FA of the right hippocampus(r=0.5414,P=0.5853). Conclusions ADC value may be more sensitive than FA value in DTI. Right temporal lobe microstructure involvement is less severe,but has a stronger relationship with neuropsyehological abnormality.