Volumetric brain changes in thalamus, corpus callosum and medial temporal structures: mild Alzheimer's Disease compared with amnestic mild cognitive impairment

• Grant number: 12/16464-3
• Support type: Regular Research Grants - Publications - Scientific article
• Duration: September 01, 2012 - February 28, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal researcher: Fernando Cendes
• Grantee: Fernando Cendes
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 05/56578-4 - Multimodal neuroimaging center for studies in epilepsy, AP.CINAPCE.TEM

Abstract

It is widely known that atrophy of medial temporal structures is present in the mild stage of AD and aMCI. However, structures such as thalamus and corpus callosum are much less studied. We compared the volumes of entorhinal cortex, hippocampus, thalamus and the corpus callosum in 14 controls, 14 patients with mild AD and 15 with aMCI and correlated these volumes with neuropsychological data. MRI imaging was obtained at 2 Tesla followed by manual segmentation. We found atrophy in hippocampi and thalami of MCI compared to controls, and in bilateral entorhinal cortex of aMCI compared to AD. All the structures showed atrophy in AD compared to controls, including corpus callosum. Our study confirms that thalamic areas are atrophied in aMCI, and corpus callosum might represent a good structural marker for mild AD. Those areas were associated with cognitive functions already described in literature. (AU)