Combination analysis of neuropsychological tests and structural MRI measures in differentiating AD, MCI and control groups—The AddNeuroMed study

• Published in: Neurobiology of aging Vol. 32; no. 7; pp. 1198 - 1206
• Main Authors: Liu, Yawu, Paajanen, Teemu, Zhang, Yi, Westman, Eric, Wahlund, Lars-Olof, Simmons, Andrew, Tunnard, Catherine, Sobow, Tomasz, Mecocci, Patrizia, Tsolaki, Magda, Vellas, Bruno, Muehlboeck, Sebastian, Evans, Alan, Spenger, Christian, Lovestone, Simon, Soininen, Hilkka
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier Inc 01.07.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease - diagnosis; Alzheimer Disease - psychology; Alzheimer's disease; Biological and medical sciences; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - psychology; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Development. Senescence. Regeneration. Transplantation; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hippocampus - pathology; Hippocampus - physiopathology; Humans; Internal Medicine; Longitudinal Studies; Male; MCI; Medical sciences; Mild cognitive impairment; MRI; Neurology; Neuropsychological Tests; Prospective Studies; Severity of Illness Index; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; MCI; MRI; Mild cognitive impairment; Alzheimer's disease; Nervous system diseases; Senescence; Alzheimer disease; Central nervous system disease; Neuropsychological test; Degenerative disease; mild cognitive impairment; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Cerebral disorder
• ISSN: 0197-4580; 1558-1497; 1558-1497
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2009.07.008

To study the ability of neuropsychological tests, manual MRI hippocampal volume measures, regional volume and cortical thickness measures to identify subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and healthy age-matched controls. Neuropsychological tests, manual hippocampal volume, automated regional volume and regional cortical thickness measures were performed in 120 AD patients, 120 MCI subjects, and 111 controls. The regional cortical thickness and volumes in MCI subjects were significantly decreased in limbic/paralimbic areas and temporal lobe compared to controls. Atrophy was much more extensive in the AD patients compared to MCI subjects and controls. The combination of neuropsychological tests and volumes revealed the highest accuracy (82% AD vs. MCI; 94% AD vs. control; 83% MCI vs. control). Adding regional cortical thicknesses into the discriminate analysis did not improve accuracy. We conclude that regional cortical thickness and volume measures provide a panoramic view of brain atrophy in AD and MCI subjects. A combination of neuropsychological tests and regional volumes are important when discriminating AD from healthy controls and MCI.