Structural neuroimaging in the detection and prognosis of pre-clinical and early AD

Issue title: Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment: New Insights from Imaging

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Fennema-Notestine, Christine^; | McEvoy, Linda K. | Hagler, Jr., Donald J. | Jacobson, Mark W.^; | Dale, Anders M.^; | the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative,

Affiliations: Deptartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA | Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA | Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA | Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA

Note: [] Corresponding author: Christine Fennema-Notestine, Ph.D., UCSD School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Dr #0841, La Jolla, CA 92093-0841, USA. Tel.: +1 858 822 3198; Fax: +1 858 534 1078; E-mail: Fennema@UCSD.edu

Abstract: Current research supports the strong potential of structural MRI profiles, even within cross-sectional designs, as a promising method for the discrimination of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) from normal controls and for the prediction of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) progression and conversion to AD. Findings suggest that measures of structural change in mesial and lateral temporal, cingulate, parietal and midfrontal areas may facilitate the assessment of a treatment's ability to halt the progressive structural loss that accompanies clinical decline in MCI. The performance of prediction is likely to continue to improve with the incorporation of measures from other neuroimaging modalities, clinical assessments, and neuromedical biomarkers, as the regional profile of individuals at risk for progression is refined.

Keywords: MRI, Alzheimer's disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), morphometry, brain imaging

DOI: 10.3233/BEN-2009-0230

Journal: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 21, no. 1-2, pp. 3-12, 2009