Tracking the progression of Alzheimer's disease: Insights from metabolic patterns of SOMI stages

• Published in: Cortex Vol. 171; pp. 413 - 422
• Main Authors: Brugnolo, Andrea, Orso, Beatrice, Girtler, Nicola, Ferraro, Pilar Maria, Arnaldi, Dario, Mattioli, Pietro, Massa, Federico, Famà, Francesco, Argenti, Lucia, Biffa, Gabriella, Morganti, Wanda, Buonopane, Silvia, Uccelli, Antonio, Morbelli, Silvia, Pardini, Matteo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Italy Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2024
• Subjects: FDG-PET; Free and cued selective reminding test; MCI-AD; Memory decline; Metabolic pattern; FDG-PET; MCI-AD; Memory decline; Free and cued selective reminding test; Metabolic pattern
• ISSN: 0010-9452; 1973-8102; 1973-8102
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.11.011

SOMI (Stages of Objective Memory Impairment) is a novel classification that identifies six stages of memory decline in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) using the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT). However, the relationship between SOMI stages and brain metabolism remains unexplored. This study aims to investigate the metabolic correlates of SOMI stages using FDG-PET in Mild Cognitive Impairment due to AD (MCI-AD) and early AD patients. One hundred twenty-nine-patients (99 aMCI-AD and 30 AD), and 42 healthy controls (HCs) (MMSE = 29.2 ± .8; age:69.1 ± 8.6 years; education:10.7 ± 3.8 years) who underwent an extensive neuropsychological battery including FCSRT and brain FDG-PET were enrolled. According to their clinical relevance and available sample sizes, SOMI-4 (N = 24 subjects; MMSE score:26.6 ± 2.6: age:75.4 ± 3.2; education:9.9 ± 4.5) and SOMI-5 groups (N = 97; MMSE:25.3 ± 2.6; age:73.9 ± 5.8; education:9.4 ± 4.1) were investigated. Compared to HCs, SOMI-4 showed hypometabolism in the precuneus, medial temporal gyrus bilaterally, right pecuneus and angular gyrus. SOMI-5 exhibited broader hypometabolism, extending to the left posterior cingulate and medial frontal gyrus bilaterally. The conjunction analysis revealed overlapping areas in the precuneus, medial temporal gyrus bilaterally, and in the right angular gyrus and cuneus. The disjunction analysis identified SOMI-5 specific hypometabolism encompassing left inferior temporal gyrus, uncus and parahippocampal gyrus, and medial frontal gyrus bilaterally (p < .001, p-value (FWE) < .05). SOMI-4 relates to posterior hypometabolism, while SOMI-5 to more extensive hypometabolism further encompassing frontal cortices, suggesting SOMI as a biologically relevant classification system of memory decline. Memory decline staged with SOMI is associated with hypometabolism spreading in amnesic MCI-AD/AD, suggesting its usefulness as a clinical marker of increasing neurodegeneration.