A meta-analysis of hippocampal atrophy rates in Alzheimer's disease

• Published in: Neurobiology of aging Vol. 30; no. 11; pp. 1711 - 1723
• Main Authors: Barnes, Josephine, Bartlett, Jonathan W., van de Pol, Laura A., Loy, Clement T., Scahill, Rachael I., Frost, Chris, Thompson, Paul, Fox, Nick C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier Inc 01.11.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alzheimer Disease - complications; Alzheimer Disease - pathology; Alzheimer's; Atrophy; Atrophy - etiology; Biological and medical sciences; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Development. Senescence. Regeneration. Transplantation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hippocampus; Hippocampus - pathology; Humans; Internal Medicine; Longitudinal; Medical sciences; Meta-analysis; Neurology; Rates; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Atrophy; Rates; AD; Longitudinal; Hippocampus; Meta-analysis; Alzheimer's; Nervous system diseases; Senescence; Alzheimer disease; Central nervous system; Encephalon; Cerebral disorder; Central nervous system disease; Degenerative disease
• ISSN: 0197-4580; 1558-1497; 1558-1497
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2008.01.010

Hippocampal atrophy rates are useful in both diagnosing and tracking Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, cohorts and methods used to determine such rates are heterogeneous, leading to differences in reported annualised rates. We performed a meta-analysis of hippocampal atrophy rates in AD patients and matched controls from studies reported in the peer-reviewed literature. Studies reporting longitudinal volume change in hippocampi in AD subjects together with controls were systematically identified and appraised. All authors were contacted either to confirm the results or to provide missing data. Meta-analysis and meta-regression were then performed on this data. Nine studies were included from seven centres, with data from a total of 595 AD and 212 matched controls. Mean (95% CIs) annualised hippocampal atrophy rates were found to be 4.66% (95% CI 3.92, 5.40) for AD subjects and 1.41% (0.52, 2.30) for controls. The difference between AD and control subject in this rate was 3.33% (1.73, 4.94).