Atrophy of the substantia innominata on magnetic resonance imaging and response to donepezil treatment in Alzheimer's disease

• Published in: Neuroscience letters Vol. 319; no. 1; pp. 33 - 36
• Main Authors: Hanyu, Haruo, Tanaka, Yuriko, Sakurai, Hirofumi, Takasaki, Masaru, Abe, Kimihiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 08.02.2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acetylcholine - agonists; Acetylcholine - metabolism; Aged; Alzheimer Disease - drug therapy; Alzheimer Disease - pathology; Alzheimer Disease - physiopathology; Alzheimer's disease; Anticonvulsants. Antiepileptics. Antiparkinson agents; Atrophy - drug therapy; Atrophy - etiology; Atrophy - pathology; Biological and medical sciences; Cholinergic Fibers - drug effects; Cholinergic Fibers - metabolism; Cholinergic Fibers - pathology; Cholinergic neuron; Cholinesterase Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Donepezil; Female; Humans; Indans - therapeutic use; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Neurons - drug effects; Neurons - metabolism; Neurons - pathology; Neuropharmacology; Patient Selection; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Piperidines - therapeutic use; Predictive Value of Tests; Responders; Substantia innominata; Substantia Innominata - drug effects; Substantia Innominata - pathology; Substantia Innominata - physiopathology; Treatment Outcome; Cholinergic neuron; Magnetic resonance imaging; Substantia innominata; Alzheimer's disease; Donepezil; Responders; Human; Nervous system diseases; Alzheimer disease; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Cerebral disorder; Atrophy; Substantia innominata Reichert; Treatment; Imaging; Central nervous system disease; Degenerative disease; Anticholinesterase agent
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3940(01)02507-1

Atrophy of the substantia innominata on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), reflecting degeneration of cholinergic neurons in the nucleus basalis of Meynert, may be an in vivo marker of cholinergic damage. We attempted to investigate whether the MRI features of the substantia innominata predict response to donepezil treatment in Alzheimer's patients. The thickness of the substantia innominata was measured on the coronal T2-weighted MRI through the anterior commissure. Seventy-two patients treated with donepezil were divided into the two groups (responders and non-responders) based on changes in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores from baseline to study endpoint. Atrophy of the substantia innominata was more pronounced in responders than non-responders. There was a significant inverse correlation between thickness of the substantia innominata and MMSE changes. MRI analysis of the substantia innominata may be a simple and practical method for the selection of possible treatment responders.