Shape Abnormalities of the Striatum in Alzheimer's Disease

Article type: Research Article

Authors: de Jong, Laura W.^{a; *} | Ferrarini, Luca^b | van der Grond, Jeroen^a | Milles, Julien R.^b | Reiber, Johan H.C.^b | Westendorp, Rudi G.J.^c | Bollen, Edward L.E.M.^d | Middelkoop, Huub A.M.^e | van Buchem, Mark A.^a

Affiliations: [a] Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands | [b] Division of Image Processing of the Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands | [c] Department of Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands | [d] Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands | [e] Division of Neuropsychology of the Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: L.W. de Jong, MD, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 715262052; Fax: +31 75248256; E-mail: L.W.de_Jong@lumc.nl.

Abstract: Postmortem studies show pathological changes in the striatum in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we examine the surface of the striatum in AD and assess whether changes of the surface are associated with impaired cognitive functioning. The shape of the striatum (n. accumbens, caudate nucleus, and putamen) was compared between 35 AD patients and 35 individuals without cognitive impairment. The striatum was automatically segmented from 3D T1 magnetic resonance images and automatic shape modeling tools (Growing Adaptive Meshes) were applied for morphometrical analysis. Repeated permutation tests were used to identify locations of consistent shape deformities of the striatal surface in AD. Linear regression models, corrected for age, gender, educational level, head size, and total brain parenchymal volume were used to assess the relation between cognitive performance and local surface deformities. In AD patients, differences of shape were observed on the medial head of the caudate nucleus and on the ventral lateral putamen, but not on the accumbens. The head of the caudate nucleus and ventral lateral putamen are characterized by extensive connections with the orbitofrontal and medial temporal cortices. Severity of cognitive impairment was associated with the degree of deformity of the surfaces of the accumbens, rostral medial caudate nucleus, and ventral lateral putamen. These findings provide evidence for the hypothesis that in AD primarily associative and limbic cerebral networks are affected.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, caudate nucleus, corpus striatum, magnetic resonance imaging, nucleus accumbens, putamen, ventral striatum

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-2010-101026

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 49-59, 2011