Background
In patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), atrophy of the entorhinal cortex (ERC) and hippocampal formation may induce degeneration of connecting white matter tracts.
Objective
We examined the association of hippocampal subfield and ERC atrophy at 7 tesla MRI with fornix and parahippocampal cingulum (PHC) microstructure in patients with early AD.
Methods
Twenty-five patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) (n = 15) or early AD (n = 10) and 17 controls underwent 3 tesla diffusion MRI to obtain fractional anisotropy (FA) of the fornix and PHC and 7 tesla MRI to obtain ERC and hippocampal subfield volumes. Linear regression analyses were performed, adjusted for age, gender, and intracranial volume.
Results
Fornix FA was significantly lower and subiculum, cornu ammonis (CA) 1, and dentate gyrus &CA4 volume were significantly smaller in patients with MCI or AD as compared to controls. In patients with MCI or AD, fornix FA was positively associated with subiculum volume (β = 0.53, 95% CI 0.10; 0.96), but not with ERC/other subfield volumes. PHC FA was not associated with ERC/subfield volumes.
Conclusion
These findings indicate that in early AD subiculum atrophy is associated with lower FA of the fornix, which primarily consists of axons originating in the subiculum. This suggests that degeneration of subicular cell bodies and their axons are related processes in early AD.
Overview publication
Title | Hippocampal disconnection in early Alzheimer’s disease: a 7 tesla MRI study. |
Date | January 1st, 2015 |
Issue name | Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD |
Issue number | v45.4:1247-56 |
DOI | 10.3233/JAD-142994 |
PubMed | 25697703 |
Authors | |
Info | Utrecht Vascular Cognitive Impairment (VCI) Study Group, van den Berg E, Biessels GJ, Brundel M, Bouvy WH, Heringa SM, Kappelle LJ, Reijmer YD, Wisse LE, de Bresser J, Kuijf HJ, Leemans A, Luijten PR, Mali WP, Viergever MA, Vincken KL, Zwanenburg JJ, Koek HL, de Wit JE, Hamaker M, Faaij R, Pleizier M, Vriens E, Algra A, Geerlings MI, Van der Graaf Y, Rutten GE |
Keywords | Alzheimer's disease, diffusion magnetic resonance imaging, fornix, hippocampus, mild cognitive impairment, subiculum |
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